Table 1.
Clinical imaging modalities for atherosclerotic plaque and vascular calcification.
| EB-CT | MRI | OCT | IVUS | PET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spatial resolution |
0.3 - 1.5 mm | 0.5 - 2 mm | 10 - 40 μm | 100 - 300 μm |
0.8 - 2.5 mm |
| Calcium detection |
+ | − | + | + | − |
| Luminal stenosis |
+ | + | + | + | − |
| Plaque composition |
− | + | + | + | + |
| Cost | Low | High | Low | High | High |
| Required time |
Low | High | Low | Low | High |
| Advantage | Functional and anatomical imaging | Functional and anatomical imaging, high resolution | High resolution | Good imaging of calcium and differences between hard and soft plaques | High sensitivity, high availability of molecular probes, quantitative |
| Disadvantage | Significant restrictions for continuous volume scan | Low sensitivity, cannot use metal, semi-quantitative | Invasive, cannot provide optimal arterial wall images in large vessels, poor tissue penetration | Invasive and requires use of catheters, difficult to distinguish structures | Moderate resolution, short-lived isotopes |