Advances in ultrasound methods for high-resolution imaging of the cardiovascular system

Acoustic microscopy entails the use of high-frequency high-resolution ultrasound methods to produce images of sound waves reflected from or propagated through some tissue of interest. The image contrast depends on microscopic differences in the intrinsic material properties of the substance imaged, such as mass density or compressibility. Pathologic changes in cardiovascular tissues at the subcellular level can be observed with high-frequency acoustic imaging techniques, based on alternations in the structure, properties, and organization of cells and their surrounding matrix. Potential applications extend from delineation of cardiovascular development in experimental animals to clinical characterization of the composition of atherosclerotic lesions with intravascular ultrasound and estimation of the potential for plaque rupture and infarction. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc.