Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Mark E. Brezinski

Publications

• Research Article
  Current OCT Approaches Do Not Reliably Identify TCFAs
  Author(s): Mark E. Brezinski and Kishore J HarjaiMark E. Brezinski and Kishore J Harjai
  
  It is now clearly established that Thin-Capped Fibroatheromas (TCFAs) lead to most Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACSs). The ability to selectively intervene on TCFAs predisposed to rupture and ACSs would dramatically alter the practice of cardiology. While the ability of OCT to identify thin walled plaques at micron scale resolutions has represented a major advance, it is a misconception that it can reliably identify TCFAs. One major reason is that the ‘diffuse border’ criteria currently used to determine ‘lipid plaque’ is almost undoubtedly from high scattering in the intima and not because of core composition (necrotic core). A second reason is that, rather than looking at lipid collections, studies need to be focused on identifying necrotic cores with OCT. Necrotic cores are characteristic of TCFAs and not lipid collections. Numerous other OCT approaches are ava.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2155-9880.1000350

  Abstract PDF

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