Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a medical imaging methodology using
a specially designed catheter with a miniaturized ultrasound probe
attached to the distal end of the catheter. The proximal end of the
catheter is attached to computerized ultrasound equipment.
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)...........
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a medical imaging methodology using a
specially designed catheter with a miniaturized ultrasound probe attached
to the distal end of the catheter. The proximal end of the catheter is
attached to computerized ultrasound equipment. It allows the application
of ultrasound technology to see from inside blood vessels out through
the surrounding blood column, visualizing the endothelium (inner wall)
of blood vessels in living individuals.
The arteries of the heart
(the coronary arteries) are the most frequent imaging target for IVUS.
IVUS is used in the coronary arteries to determine the amount of
atheromatous plaque built up at any particular point in the epicardial
coronary artery. The progressive accumulation of plaque within the
artery wall over decades is the setup for vulnerable plaque which, in
turn, leads to heart attack and stenosis (narrowing) of the artery
(known as coronary artery lesions). IVUS is of use to determine both
plaque volume within the wall of the artery and/or the degree of
stenosis of the artery lumen. It can be especially useful in situations
in which angiographic imaging is considered unreliable; such as for the
lumen of ostial lesions or where angiographic images do not visualize
lumen segments adequately, such as regions with multiple overlapping
arterial segments. It is also used to assess the effects of treatments
of stenosis such as with hydraulic angioplasty expansion of the artery,
with or without stents, and the results of medical therapy over time