ABSTRACT
The pathophysiological pathways that lead to formation and progression of atherosclerosis are characterized by diversity and complexity. An increasing body of evidence indicates that inflammation plays a pivotal role in this multifactorial process, initiating from the earliest identifiable lesion to the advanced vulnerable plaque. The thermography basket catheter consists of an expandable catheter made of a nitinol system loaded with small and flexible thermocouples. Vascular inflammation may lead to plaque vulnerability and induce plaque rupture. Most atherosclerotic plaques had higher temperatures compared with the proximal vessel wall. Preliminary studies have shown a correlation between morphological and functional characteristics of culprit atherosclerotic lesions, assessed by intravascular ultrasound and coronary thermography, respectively. One of the most significant targets of research is early identification of vulnerable sites that are potentially at risk of rupture in order to prevent the sequel of events that may lead to this devastating outcome.
