Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging: The New Standard for Guidance and Assessment of Endovascular Interventions?

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Abstract
Intravascular ultrasound has developed rapidly during the last few years, and provides a unique perspective from which to view vascular disease and the effects of intervention. This catheter-based imaging technique utilizes advances in echographic data processing and computerized image manipulation to produce accurate luminal and transmural images of blood vessels. Although these devices have only been available for a relatively short time, numerous diagnostic and therapeutic applications have been reported. By providing a detailed image of vessels before, during, and after intervention, intravascular ultrasound provides a method for both guidance of endoluminal devices and immediate assessment of the results of therapeutic techniques including balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, laser-assisted angioplasty, and intravascular stent deployment. Intravascular ultrasound also offers exciting possibilities in peripheral vascular research such as investigation of blood vessel compliance, dynamic changes in the vessel wall caused by disease or pharmacologic intervention, and elucidation of the morphologic changes associated with the natural history of atherosclerosis.