Which imaging modality provides high-resolution lumen and thin-cap details?

Which imaging modality provides high-resolution lumen and thin-cap details?

• A. IVUS provides high-resolution lumen.
• B. CT angiography provides high-resolution lumen.
• C. OCT provides high-resolution lumen and thin-cap details.
• D. MRI provides high-resolution lumen.

Answer: (C)

High-resolution lumen imaging that can reveal thin fibrous caps is best achieved with optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT uses near-infrared light to produce cross-sectional images with an axial resolution around 10–20 microns, which lets you see microstructural plaque features, including the thickness of the fibrous cap. This level of detail is what allows identification of thin-cap fibroatheromas, where cap thickness is a critical factor. Other modalities provide good lumen visualization but with coarser resolution. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) offers broader penetration and better overall vessel sizing but around 100–150 microns of resolution, which makes reliably measuring thin caps difficult. CT angiography gives strong 3D lumen detail but its spatial resolution generally isn’t high enough to resolve thin caps. MRI, while valuable for tissue characterization in some contexts, does not achieve the same lumen and microstructure resolution as OCT.

High-resolution lumen imaging that can reveal thin fibrous caps is best achieved with optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT uses near-infrared light to produce cross-sectional images with an axial resolution around 10–20 microns, which lets you see microstructural plaque features, including the thickness of the fibrous cap. This level of detail is what allows identification of thin-cap fibroatheromas, where cap thickness is a critical factor.

Other modalities provide good lumen visualization but with coarser resolution. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) offers broader penetration and better overall vessel sizing but around 100–150 microns of resolution, which makes reliably measuring thin caps difficult. CT angiography gives strong 3D lumen detail but its spatial resolution generally isn’t high enough to resolve thin caps. MRI, while valuable for tissue characterization in some contexts, does not achieve the same lumen and microstructure resolution as OCT.