Non-invasive evaluation of culprit lesions by PET imaging: shifting the clinical paradigm away from resultant anatomy toward causative physiology

Although coronary angiography is the gold standard for assessing coronary artery disease (CAD), there is at best a weak correlation between degree of stenosis and the risk of developing cardiac events. Plaque rupture is the most common type of plaque complication, accounting for about 70% of fatal acute myocardial infarctions or sudden coronary deaths. Recently, the feasibility of 18F-fluoride PET/CT in the evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions was assessed. Radionuclide techniques allow non-invasive biologic assessment of atherosclerotic plaques. This may help to further shift the clinical paradigm in coronary disease away from anatomy toward causative physiology and biology.