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Evaluation of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy: From Angiography to Intravascular Ultrasound and Beyond

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Imaging Coronary Atherosclerosis

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

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Abstract

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation and results from complex mechanisms ultimately leading to diffuse intimal hyperplasia throughout the coronary vasculature. Available treatment options, at best slow the progression of disease and if diagnosed late, outcomes remain poor. Early diagnosis of CAV is of critical importance as timely and aggressive treatments can be associated with improved long-term outcomes.

While noninvasive imaging techniques and routine coronary angiography have been utilized in establishing the diagnosis of CAV, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) enables the clinician to determine the presence of disease with high sensitivity and early in its course. Improved diagnostic accuracy associated with IVUS has led to its emergence as the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of CAV in patients with heart transplantation. Serial, longitudinal assessment of the coronary vasculature with IVUS has led to improved understanding of disease progression and predictors of outcome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Olcay Aksoy MD & E. Murat Tuzcu MD

Authors
  1. Olcay Aksoy MD
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  2. E. Murat Tuzcu MD
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Correspondence to E. Murat Tuzcu MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Stephen J. Nicholls

  2. Project Development, C5Research, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Tim Crowe

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Aksoy, O., Tuzcu, E.M. (2014). Evaluation of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy: From Angiography to Intravascular Ultrasound and Beyond. In: Nicholls, S., Crowe, T. (eds) Imaging Coronary Atherosclerosis. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0572-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0572-0_6

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