DETECTING VULNERABLE PLAQUE

No clinically accepted methods currently exist to reliably identify the location and presence of vulnerable plaque. Vulnerable plaques do not cause symptoms such as shortness of breath or pain. Unlike occlusive arterial sclerosis, vulnerable plaques do not block the arteries. Conventional angiography (or fluoroscopy) is the current gold standard technique for diagnosing coronary artery obstructions. However, angiography is unable to evaluate tissue morphology or arterial wall composition, and therefore not useful for detecting vulnerable plaques.