Women who do binge drinking face a risk of birth defects known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) that leads to growth retardation, head and face abnormalities and neurological problems. Till date, it was believed that FAS also caused heart problems in just over half of those with this condition but remained largely a mystery how. To unlock this mystery, a team led by an Indian-American researcher Ganga Karunamuni at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, studied heart formation in quail embryos, whose heart development is very similar to that of humans. The team used optical coherence tomography - an innovative imaging ...

Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) not treated with immunoglobulin therapy have a 25% risk of developing coronary aneurysms, which lead to adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and death . In addition, these individuals frequently present significant calcium deposits in regions of previous inflammation in the coronaries . OCT assessment of stent-vessel interactions seems to be more accurate than IVUS' in patients with highly calcified plaques .

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the current state-of-the-art intracoronary imaging modality that allows visualization of detailed morphological characteristics of both atherosclerotic plaque and stent. So far, three expert review documents have been released for standardization of OCT image analysis. In the real world, a variety of definitions are being used by different groups and by different core laboratories to analyze OCT findings because of different clinical/procedural contexts in which OCT research has been carried out. This comprehensive overview is aimed to summarize different applicable definitions used by different research groups in plaque and stent analysis using OCT. In addition ...

A 67-year-old man with a history of hypertension and dyslipidemia was admitted because of angina symptoms. Coronary angiography (CAG) showed an eccentric lesion of the distal unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) involving the ostium of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) (Figure 1 A). ULMCA/LAD crossover stent implantation was conducted with a 3.5 × 18-mm everolimus-eluting stent (EES) (XIENCE PRIME, Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) at 12 atm, followed by the kissing-balloon technique (KBT). Despite a favorable CAG result (Figure 2 A), frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) revealed stent strut deformation towards the LAD, leading to a ...

Alcohol-induced congenital heart defects (CHDs) are frequently among the most life-threatening and require surgical correction in newborns. The etiology of these defects, collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), has been the focus of much study, particularly involving cellular and molecular mechanisms. Few studies have addressed the influential role of altered cardiac function in early embryogenesis, due to a lack of tools with the capability to assay tiny beating hearts. To overcome this gap in our understanding, we used optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-destructive imaging modality capable of micrometer-scale resolution imaging, to rapidly and accurately map cardiovascular structure and ...

Objectives This study sought to assess stent-vessel interactions after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in unprotected left main coronary artery (ULM) by frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). Background Percutaneous coronary intervention using DES in ULM has been increasingly performed in routine practice. Recently, FD-OCT assessments of DES-vessel interactions have been used as surrogates for DES safety; however, there are no FD-OCT studies in ULM. Methods We prospectively enrolled 33 consecutive patients with ULM disease treated with sirolimus- (n = 11) and everolimus-eluting stents (n = 22). FD-OCT assessments were performed post-percutaneous coronary intervention and at 9-month follow-up. Three different segments of ULM were ...

Currently in use by interventional cardiology for the intravascular evaluation of coronary arteries, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has proven to be effective in the evaluation of atherosclerotic disease and further therapeutic management. We report a novel use of OCT technology in the case of a 46-year-old man with sudden onset blurred vision and greater than 70% stenosis of his left vertebral artery. To date, no detailed descriptions or case reports have previously been reported regarding the use of neuroendovascular OCT in diseased arteries.

Objectives This first-in-human multicenter study sought to examine prospectively the safety and efficacy of a new, cobalt chromium thin-strut, coronary absorbable polymer–coated, sirolimus-eluting stent. Background Bioabsorbable polymers on drug-eluting stents may lower the long-term risks of inflammation, delayed healing, and adverse events. Methods We enrolled patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease with stable or unstable angina pectoris and >50% diameter stenosis, amenable to coverage with a ≤23-mm long stent in a vessel 2.5 to 3.5 mm in diameter. All patients received dual antiplatelet therapy after implantation. Patients, in groups of 10, underwent repeat angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and ...

Objectives This study sought to investigate the frequency, predictors, and detailed qualitative and quantitative assessment of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-detected stent edge dissections. Its impact on subsequent management and clinical outcomes were also investigated. Background OCT is a high-resolution imaging modality that can lead to more frequent recognition and accurate assessment of vascular injuries during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods From September 2010 to June 2011, all patients with OCT post-PCI were enrolled. Edge dissections were defined as disruptions of the arterial lumen surface in both the 5-mm distal and proximal stent edges. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of all ...