ABSTRACT
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been proposed as a new catheter-based method for in vivo imaging of the coronary artery wall1-4. In comparison to the current gold standard, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), OCT shows basically two major differences: first, its high resolution (10-20 µm), which is an order of magnitude higher than clinical IVUS; and second, that the image generation is based on the optical rather than the acoustic properties of the tissue. This offers a completely new view of the arterial wall, with the ability to visualize structures that up to now have not been observed in vivo. Furthermore, tissue and plaque characterization based on optics has to be established. In this chapter, published research as well as our own results regarding the comparison between OCT, IVUS and histology is briefly reviewed. We discuss the use of OCT for the detection of the onset, the development and the treatment of atherosclerosis: the process of intimal thickening, plaque characterization, stent placement and vulnerable plaque detection.
