Optical Coherence Tomography in Vulnerable Plaque and Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an intravascular imaging technique that uses near-infrared light. OCT provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of coronary arteries and enables tissue characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. OCT can identify plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and calcified nodule in culprit lesions of acute coronary syndrome. OCT can also detect important morphologic features of vulnerable plaques such as thin fibrous caps, large lipid cores, macrophages accumulation, intraplaque microvasculature, cholesterol crystals, healed plaques, and intraplaque hemorrhage.

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Calcified nodule; Optical coherence tomography; Plaque erosion; Plaque rupture; Thin-cap fibroatheroma; Vulnerable plaque.