Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by the build-up of plague inside one’s blood vessels and in particular, the arteries. The plague is usually a combination of fat, calcium, and cholesterol. What happens is that once the plague builds up, the arteries become narrow obstructing the blood vessels. This could lead rupturing of a plague leading to the formation of blood clots.

However, the condition is treatable through surgery and medication. In all the treatment procedures, imaging has to be done for a visual representation of the blood vessels. This is to establish the severity of the disease and determine the best treatment options. The following are types of imaging done for atherosclerosis.

Coronary angiography

This is one of the invasive imaging procedures used to diagnose atherosclerosis. In the procedure, X-ray is used alongside cardiac catheterization. In coronary angiography, a tube known as a catheter is passed through an artery in the groin region slowly up to the heart. X-ray, in this case, is used to locate the catheter. Once in place, a dye is injected into the tube, the X-ray keeps track of the movement of the dye up the type from where it can identify blockages if there are some.

Imaging ultrasound

Unlike coronary angiography, this is a non-invasive procedure. High-Frequency ultrasound transducers produce a high resolution that is used in the measuring of intima-media thickness. This is used to show the thickness of the plague in the vessel walls. However, this procedure can be limiting as the high-frequency resolution can only access the vessels that are close to the skin.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This is yet another non-invasive imaging procedure that is used in the detection of a thrombus and its age too. MRI subjects a patient to an external static magnetic field in which the protons of their bodies align themselves to. A series of spins are made, and contrast of tissues is realized during relaxation time. This is when a mass can be identified as a plague.

As technology advances, new imaging techniques are invented. This has impacted the medical field and made the work of the practitioners easier. With the ability to reset VPNand gain as much information as possible, practitioners are able to learn new imaging techniques, and they are able to share this knowledge with other practitioners all over the world.