Vulnerable Plaque: Molecular Imaging

Abstract

Despite the remarkable advances in cardiovascular imaging over the last decade, it is still challenging to identify high-risk atherosclerotic plaques prior to onset of major cardiovascular complications. Accumulating knowledge regarding the pathophysiological properties of vulnerable plaque (VP) has driven the development of molecular imaging technologies that target biologic process to characterize vulnerable plaques. Given the importance of VP detection in vivo, molecular imaging has emerged as an attractive diagnostic tool to more accurately estimate the risk of plaque rupture.