In vivo Raman spectral pathology of human atherosclerosis and vulnerable plaque. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque accounts for the majority of clinically significant acute cardiovascular events. Because stability of these culprit lesions is directly related to chemical and morphological composition, Raman spectroscopy may be a useful technique for their study. Recent developments in optical fiber probe technology have allowed for the real-time in vivo Raman spectroscopic characterization of human atherosclerotic plaque demonstrated in this work. We spectroscopically examine 74 sites during carotid endarterectomy and femoral artery bypass surgeries. Of these, 34 are surgically biopsied and examined histologically. Excellent signal-to-noise ratio spectra are obtained in only 1 s and fit with an established model, demonstrating accurate tissue characterization. We also report the first evidence that Raman spectroscopy has the potential to identify vulnerable plaque, achieving a sensitivity and specificity of 79 and 85%, respectively. These initial findings indicate that Raman spectroscopy has the potential to be a clinically relevant diagnostic tool for studying cardiovascular disease.

publication date

  • January 1, 2006

Research

keywords

  • Algorithms
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Carotid Stenosis
  • Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 33746444009

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1117/1.2190967

PubMed ID

  • 16674178

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 11

issue

  • 2