Light-based imaging 'sees' thin fibrous cap

Article

Autopsy studies indicate that soft plaque with a fibrous cap measuring less than 65 microns is at risk of imminent rupture. Multislice CT and MR imaging, with resolutions around 200 and 300 microns, respectively, cannot help predict a rupture. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), however, can obtain an in vivo resolution well below 65 microns.

Autopsy studies indicate that soft plaque with a fibrous cap measuring less than 65 microns is at risk of imminent rupture. Multislice CT and MR imaging, with resolutions around 200 and 300 microns, respectively, cannot help predict a rupture. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), however, can obtain an in vivo resolution well below 65 microns.

Dr. Osamu Katoh and colleagues at Toyohashi Heart Center in Japan used OCT to measure minimal and maximal thickness and length of the fibrous caps in stable and vulnerable plaques (Am J Cardiol 2004;94[suppl 6A]:142E). Four lesions were considered vulnerable, and three were considered stable.

The mean minimal thickness of the fibrous caps was significantly less in the vulnerable group (30 microns) than in the stable group (70 microns). The differences in maximal thickness and length between the two groups were not significant.

Recent Videos
Improving Access to Nuclear Imaging: An Interview with SNMMI President Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.