Abstract

A vulnerable plaque is an atheromatic plaque with specific morphological characteristics, mainly presented as an unstable collection of white blood cells and lipids in the wall of an artery. It is of great importance to adequately recognize and treat this entity before its rupture, before the initiation of an acute coronary syndrome. The search of the location of future plaque ruptures or plaque erosions is an important area of cardiovascular research. Systemic therapy, including use of statins, targets the vulnerable patient. However, adverse events cannot be completely eliminated with the appropriate application of systemic therapies and this has given rise to efforts for evolution of local or regional therapies of the vulnerable plaques to prevent future events. Recently drug eluting stents dedicated to vulnerable plaques have been developed, aiming in the local stabilization of the vulnerable plaque.

Keywords: Vulnerable plaque, optical coherence tomography, coronary artery disease, Eluting Stents, atheromatic plaque, acute coronary syndrome, plaque ruptures, plaque erosions, cardiovascular research, statins