ABSTRACT
Introduction Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) represents a major development for the assessment of arterial disease. In addition to providing accurate on-line quantitative information regarding lumen size and residual plaque burden, IVUS has contributed to our understanding of plaque behavior and morphology. Although cineangiography remains an indispensable part of diagnosis and treatment for coronary artery disease, angiography provides only a two dimensional silhouette of the lumen. Furthermore, angiography cannot evaluate the mechanisms of various interventional procedures over time, with respect to disease progression/ regression and vessel morphology.
