Imaging Modalities to Identity Inflammation in an Atherosclerotic Plaque

Table 2

Invasive imaging modalities to detect a vulnerable plaque.

Invasive imaging techniques	Spatial resolution	Plaque characteristic identified	Advantages	Limitations
IVUS	150–250 micron	Plaque distribution, severity, cross-sectional area, and characterization of plaque (lipid core and spotty calcification)	High resolution images of vessel wall and plaque structure	Intra- and interobserver subjectivity, invasiveness, limited spatial resolution, and limited temporal resolution
OCT	4–20 micron	Plaque composition (fibrous, fibrofatty, and fatty), thin fibrous cap, macrophages, neoangiogenesis, and collagen formation	10 times higher image resolution compared to IVUS and greater tissue contrast	Requires blood-free imaging field, intra- and interobserver variation, invasiveness, and limited tissue penetration
IVMR	120 micron	Early atherosclerosis and more advanced plaque formations and plaque composition (lipid, fibrous, and calcified tissues)	High resolution of plaque structure and composition	Invasiveness and need for occlusion balloon
NIRS	NA	Thin fibrous cap, lipid core, and macrophages	High resolution of plaque structure with reliability	Invasiveness, limited tissue penetration, and cardiac motion artefact

IVUS, intravascular ultrasound; OCT, optical coherence tomography; IVMR, intravascular magnetic resonance; NIRS, near infrared spectroscopy.