Intravascular ultrasound: limitation and prospects.

The aims of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) are visualization of the arteri al wall, characterization of the arterial plaque, measurement of vessel dia meter and endoluminal procedure assessment. The main sources of errors are: limitation of resolution, distorsion of images due to non uniform angular velocity of mechanical type transducers, overestimation or underestimation of cross sectional area secondary to eccentric position or non coaxial orie ntation of the catheter. Awareness of these problems may prevent misinterpr etations. Combined balloon imaging catheters, foward-looking sector scanners and ultr asound imaging guide wires may be achieve by miniaturization of transducers . Three dimensional imaging, blood dow quantification, local elasticity of tissues may be achieve by new softwares.