Imagenología coronaria: ultrasonido intravascular (IVUS)

Atherosclerotic disease involves the entire length of the coronary artery, to varying degrees of severity. Coronary arteriography has been the gold standard in imaging assessments of the coronary arteries. Histopathological studies have shown that it underestimates the severity of atherosclerosis even in areas with the greatest involvement. The complexity of coronary disease requires the implementation of new tools for the anatomical and functional assessment of atherosclerosis. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) offers images with better spatial resolution, since it allows the evaluation of the severity of the lesions and provides information regarding plaque composition, location within the vascular wall, and evaluation of the coronary stent restenosis and thrombosis phenomenon.