Native coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) is a diffuse and progressive disease process that is occasionally associated with either clinical atherothrombosis and/or major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including: ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), acute coronary syndromes without ST elevation (ACSWSTE), heart failure, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. Both, the timing and coronary site responsible for the MACE are currently unpredictable. Cardiovascular investigators have engaged in the task of characterizing CAS lesions in order to enhance our knowledge of CAS pathophysiology. It was expected that the knowledge acquired will allow scientists and clinicians to develop effective strategies to detect and treat "vulnerable plaque" (VP) prior to the evolution of MACE. This review discusses the emerging data regarding the pathology and natural history of the VP and vulnerable patient and the progress made in characterizing atherosclerotic plaque instability and vulnerability. Future directions in the field of plaque characterization and their potential clinical and research applications are discussed.
Journal Article Quadricuspid aortic valve: a rare but important abnormality Get access Yu-Hsiang Juan, Yu-Hsiang Juan Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, TaiwanNon-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division) and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1046-5309 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Hui Liu, Hui Liu Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division) and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China Correspondence to Dr Hui Liu, Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences. No.106, Zhongshan 2 Rd, Guangzhou 510080, People’s Republic of China; liuhuijiujiu@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Alfonso H Waller, Alfonso H Waller Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division) and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Amil M Shah, Amil M Shah Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division) and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Ron Blankstein Ron Blankstein Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Division) and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Postgraduate Medical Journal, Volume 90, Issue 1066, August 2014, Pages 482–483, https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2014-132612 Published: 08 July 2014 Article history Received: 03 February 2014 Revision received: 24 June 2014 Accepted: 25 June 2014 Published: 08 July 2014
