The role of optical coherence tomography in the setting of acute myocardial infarction

In recent years, intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasing in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has not been established in the setting of AMI despite OCT providing superior resolution (10 μm axial resolution) and facilitating assessment of baseline lesion characteristics and post-intervention evaluation of the acute result of stent implantation, including visualization of procedural dissections, malapposition, tissue prolapse, and thrombus. We provide an overview of the potential benefits of OCT-guidance in various situations of AMI.