How does the Clinician Evaluate the Atherosclerotic Plaque Quantitatively?

Abstract

The human atherosclerotic plaque, unlike some of the experimental models, can be associated with complications such as thrombotic or embolic processes, fissuration, intraplaque haemorrhage, and spasm. The evolution, risk factors, and complication rates vary depending on the arterial segment and affected organs. The problem of detection and quantification of the atherosclerotic disease is in fact linked to the specific atherosclerotic target. The problem for peripheral arteries is different from that for coronary arteries. Therefore the quantitative approaches, as well as the social and medical care implications of studies of the severity of atherosclerosis are different. The high prevalance of ischemic heart disease led us to study problems associated with the detection of the severity of the atherosclerotic process in coronary arteries.