3-DIMENSIONAL INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND ANALYSIS OF CORONARY STENT DEPLOYMENT AND IN-STENT NEOINTIMAL VOLUME - CURRENT CLINICAL-PRACTICE ANDTHE CONCEPTS OF TRAPIST, ERASER, AND ITALICS

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) permits the detailed examination of co ronary stent apposition and expansion in vivo. IVUS assessment of the extent and distribution of in-stent neointima at follow-up is an ideal model for the evaluation of new antiproliferative drugs that aim at a reduced in-stent neointimal hyperplasia. Recently, automated systems for three-dimensional reconstruction and analysis of IVUS images have been developed. This manuscript illustrates the methodology and clinic al use of automated three-dimensional IVUS analysis systems during cor onary stenting, and highlights the first randomized trials to apply su ch a technique for the assessment of in-stent neointima.