Imaging Modalities to Identity Inflammation in an Atherosclerotic Plaque. (20th December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goel, Sunny; Miller, Avraham; Agarwal, Chirag; Zakin, Elina; Acholonu, Michael; Gidwani, Umesh; Sharma, Abhishek; Kulbak, Guy; Shani, Jacob; Chen, On
• Other Names: Sijens Paul Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Radiology research and practice. Volume 2015(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-12-20
• Subjects: Radiography -- Periodicals; Radiology -- Periodicals; Medical radiology -- Periodicals; Radiology; Radiography; Radiology; Medical radiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/410967
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-1941

Abstract

Abstract : Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive, multifocal arterial wall disease caused by local and systemic inflammation responsible for major cardiovascular complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. With the recent understanding that vulnerable plaque erosion and rupture, with subsequent thrombosis, rather than luminal stenosis, is the underlying cause of acute ischemic events, there has been a shift of focus to understand the mechanisms that make an atherosclerotic plaque unstable or vulnerable to rupture. The presence of inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque has been considered as one of the initial events which convert a stable plaque into an unstable and vulnerable plaque. This paper systemically reviews the noninvasive and invasive imaging modalities that are currently available to detect this inflammatory process, at least in the intermediate stages, and discusses the ongoing studies that will help us to better understand and identify it at the molecular level.