Intravascular ultrasound

In the half century since it was initially performed, coronary angiography has become the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). Angiography has been employed to triage patients to a range of medical and revascularization therapies. At the same time, it has become apparent that conventional angiographic techniques are limited in their ability to evaluate atherosclerotic plaque. This has prompted the search to develop new imaging modalities to more extensively visualize atherosclerosis in order to gain further insight into the mechanisms driving the disease process and to facilitate the therapeutic approach to the patient with CAD. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has emerged as a sensitive tool for the evaluation of the natural history of atherosclerosis.