Translating Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography from a Research to a Clinical Tool

Abstract Intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) continues to be a hot topic as a method for studying vulnerable plaque in research laboratories across the globe. It is also growing in popularity as a tool for interventional cardiologists to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The power of IVOCT for diagnosis of thin-capped fibroatheromas (TCFAs) has yet to receive mainstream clinical attention due to the fact that clinicians still do not have a protocol to follow if TCFA are identified and that TCFA identification requires extensive training in IVOCT image analysis—it is not yet an automated process. In this review, we will discuss the progress of translation of IVOCT from predominantly a research tool to clinical practice by reviewing recent advances in the field of IVOCT for guiding PCI and how the challenge of automated plaque characterization for vulnerable plaque identification is being approached.
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - Category: Radiology Source Type: research