Use Of Noninvasive Testing Research Articles

Healthcare resource utilization among patients receiving non-invasive testing for coronary artery disease in an outpatient setting: A cohort study reflecting daily practice trends

BackgroundAccurate, early diagnosis and the initiation of appropriate treatment is central to reducing the clinical burden of coronary artery disease (CAD); however, real-world evidence characterizing healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) associated with testing for CAD is lacking. Methods and ResultsUsing a non-interventional, retrospective, secondary database analysis, patients aged ≥18 years who underwent outpatient non-invasive cardiac diagnostic testing were identified. The primary objective was to gain an understanding of pre- and post-assessment care pathways and the associated interventions for patients who underwent non-invasive testing for CAD in either an outpatient or emergency department setting. Overall, chest pain was the primary reason for the index visit (54.8%), followed by shortness of breath (23.7%), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery disease (CAD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) (3.8%), and other (46.8%); 3.0% of patients had no apparent reason for testing in the last 45 days. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was the dominant diagnostic testing modality (40.3%). During the 90-day follow-up, 7.3% (n = 22,083) of patients were diagnosed with CAD; among these patients, 19.4% had repeat diagnostic testing, 26.0% of patients had a revascularization procedure, and 65.6% underwent cardiac catheterization. These rates varied by testing modality. ConclusionsIn this study of a large real-world data sample, variability in the use of non-invasive tests and HCRU were evident. These results may assist efforts to optimize system-wide care/diagnostic pathways and value-based treatment decisions for patients.

Prognostic non-invasive biomarkers for all-cause mortality in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a growing public health concern, with patients having higher risk of morbidity and mortality. It has a considerably high prevalence in the general population, estimated 20%-40% in Europe, and is asymptomatic until late in the disease course. It is therefore important to identify and validate tools that predict hard outcomes such as mortality for use in clinical practice in risk-stratifying NAFLD patients.AIMTo evaluate available evidence on the use of non-invasive test(s) as prognostic factors for mortality in NAFLD. METHODSWe performed electronic searches of Medline and EMBASE (Ovid) until 7th January 2021 of studies in NAFLD populations. Prognostic markers included serum biomarkers, non-invasive scoring systems, and non-invasive imaging. The population included all spectrums of disease severity, including NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Outcomes included all-cause, and cardiovascular mortality. All non-invasive tests were synthesised in a narrative systematic review. Finally, we conducted a meta-analysis of non-invasive scoring systems for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, calculating pooled hazard ratios and 95% confidence (STATA 16.1).RESULTSDatabase searches identified 2850 studies – 24 were included. 16 studies reported non-invasive scoring systems, 10 studies reported individual biomarkers, and 1 study reported imaging modalities. 4 studies on non-invasive scoring systems (6324 participants) had data available for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The non-invasive scoring system that performed best at predicting all-cause mortality was NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) [pHR 3.07 (1.62-5.83)], followed by fibrosis-4 index [pHR 3.06 (1.54-6.07)], BARD [pHR 2.87 (1.27-6.46)], and AST to platelet ratio index [pHR 1.90 (1.32-2.73)]. NFS was also prognostic of cardiovascular-related mortality [pHR 3.09 (1.78-5.34)].CONCLUSIONThis study reaffirms that non-invasive scoring systems, especially NFS, are reliable prognostic markers of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in NAFLD patients. These findings can inform clinical practice in risk stratifying NAFLD patients.

Abstract 72: What Leads To Optimal Use Of Noninvasive Cardiac Testing? A Qualitative Study Of Top-performing Hospitals

Background: There is wide variation in rates of both “high-value” noninvasive cardiovascular testing that is recommended by guidelines and “low-value” testing that provides minimal patient benefit. Little is known about what makes hospitals successful in maximizing high-value and minimizing low-value testing. Methods: We used the Colorado all-payer claims database from 2016-2019 to identify hospital use of 1) high-value tests including assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction or incident heart failure, and 2) low-value tests including preoperative stress testing prior to low-risk surgery and routine stress testing within 2 years of coronary revascularization. We identified two “top-performing” hospitals with optimal testing rates (i.e., high-value testing rates in the highest quintile and low-value testing rates in the lowest quintile of hospitals in the state). We performed a qualitative study using in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n=19) with clinical and administrative staff (quality officers, lab directors, and ordering clinicians) at these two “top-performing” hospitals. We examined interview transcripts using directed content analysis to develop our codebook, and analyzed data using a matrix analysis to identify themes that may lead to optimal use of testing. Results: Four main themes were identified: 1) cardiologist involvement (either through screening programs or through direct contact with primary care clinicians); 2) open and direct communication between noninvasive cardiologists and ordering clinicians; 3) a strong sense of mission to deliver high quality and individualized patient care by clinical and administrative staff; and 4) an organizational and leadership culture of approachability and responsiveness to quality improvement initiatives. Conclusions: We identified four themes that characterized the experiences of two hospitals that have optimized use of noninvasive testing. Given the complexity of organizational change to improve care quality, these themes may help hospitals focus future efforts to improve value in testing.

Approaches to the Diagnosis of Portal Hypertension: Non-Invasive or Invasive Tests?

Portal hypertension is the main driver of complications in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) and is defined by values of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement (HVPG) >5 mmHg. Values of HVPG ≥10 mmHg determine the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), the main predictor of the risk of variceal bleeding, hepatic decompensation, and mortality. However, its measurement is invasive and requires high expertise, so its routine use outside third level centers or clinical trials is limited. In the last decades, several non-invasive tests (NITs) have been developed and validated for the diagnosis of portal hypertension. Among these, liver (LSM) and spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) are the most promising tools available, as they have been proven accurate to predict CSPH, high-risk esophageal varices, decompensation, and mortality in patients with ACLD. In the last Baveno VI Consensus proceedings, LSM evaluation was recommended for the first time for diagnosis of CSPH (LSM >20-25 kPa) and the screening of patients with a low probability of having high-risk varices (LSM <20 kPa and platelet count >150.000/mm3). In this review, we aimed to summarize the growing evidence supporting the use of non-invasive tests for the evaluation of portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease.

Iron deficiency: a modern primer to diagnosis and management.

Iron deficiency with anemia (IDA) and without anemia remain a diagnostic and management challenge. Iron deficiency has a broad spectrum of causes, including gastrointestinal malignancy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the value and limitations of current methods to diagnose iron deficiency and underline the relevance of contemporaneous evidence to guide the pretest probability of gastrointestinal disease. A number of biomarkers for iron deficiency exist, and all have their caveats. Serum ferritin remains the most pragmatic means of diagnosing iron deficiency. Hepcidin holds future promise as a marker of iron status during inflammatory states. Men and postmenopausal women with IDA have the highest overall prevalence of gastrointestinal malignancy (∼11%), while premenopausal women with IDA (<1.5%) and those with iron deficiency without anemia (<0.5%) have a very low risk. Noninvasive investigation with fecal immunochemical test and fecal calprotectin hold promise to guide further investigations in lower risk groups. Confirmation of iron deficiency remains a challenge. Appropriate risk stratification is the key to guiding judicious gastrointestinal investigation. Use of noninvasive tests may play an important role in lower risk groups. Risk prediction tools applicable to relevant populations are required.

Abstract 16113: CT Pulmonary Angiography Yield in Patients With an Active Malignancy: Lack of Non-invasive Screening

Patients with an active malignancy are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism due to the production of pro-coagulant factors causing a hypercoagulable state. Providers must keep their index of suspicion high for a pulmonary embolism in these patients because of the high prevalence and often vague symptoms. This is a retrospective study of 2226 patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in the emergency department. We compared the diagnosis of PE in patients with and without an active malignancy within the past 6 months. Of those patients without an active cancer, 133/1788 (7.4%) patients were diagnosed with a PE. This is not significantly different from the cohort with cancer where 37/437 (8.5%) patients were diagnosed with a PE (p=0.468). During diagnosis, patients with a history of cancer were less likely to have a chest x-ray, d-dimer or troponin performed prior to the CTPA scan (Table 1). These tests are less invasive and much cheaper than the CTPA and can help identify other pathologies that a patient may be experiencing. Not surprisingly, patients with a malignancy have a higher Wells’ score, revised Geneva score and PERC rule (Table 2), leading providers further down diagnostic algorithms towards CTPA. While many of these high-risk patients should immediately undergo CTPA, patients at low or moderate risk of PE should first be evaluated with less invasive testing such as a chest x-ray or d-dimer. In conclusion, in order to decrease the number of patients unnecessarily undergoing CTPA, patients with an active malignancy should be risk stratified in a similar manner as those patients without a malignancy, including the use of non-invasive testing where appropriate.

Actual Issues of the Cardiac Complications Risk Assessment and Correction in Non-Cardiac Surgery

Worldwide, more than 200 million non-cardiac surgeries are performed annually, and this number is constantly increasing; cardiac complications are the leading cause of death in such surgeries. So, in a multicenter study conducted in 27 countries, cardiovascular complications were present in 68% of cases of death in the postoperative period. Registers of recent years have shown that the number of such complications remains high, for example, with a dynamic assessment of troponins, perioperative myocardial damage was detected in 13-18% of cases. This review provides a critical analysis of the step-by-step algorithm for assessing cardiac risk of non-cardiac operations considering the emergence of new publications on this topic. The review discusses new data on risk assessment scales, functional state assessment, the use of non-invasive tests, biomarkers, the role of preventive myocardial revascularization in the preoperative period, and drug therapy. The issues of non-cardiac operations after percutaneous coronary intervention, perioperative myocardial damage are considered separately. The review emphasizes the difficulties in obtaining evidence, conducting randomized clinical trials in this section of medicine, which do not allow obtaining unambiguous conclusions in most cases and lead to inconsistencies and ambiguities in the recommendations of various expert groups. This review will help practitioners navigate this issue and help to use the optimal diagnostic and treatment strategy before performing non-cardiac surgery.

Serial Transient Elastography Examinations to Monitor Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study

Type 2 diabetes is an important risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and advanced fibrosis. Current international guidelines recommend the use of noninvasive tests as initial assessments for NAFLD, but the role of noninvasive tests as monitoring tools has not been established. We aimed to study the role of transient elastography as a monitoring tool in patients with type 2 diabetes. We recruited patients with type 2 diabetes without viral hepatitis or excessive alcohol intake from a complication screening facility in Hong Kong in 2013-2014 and repeated the assessments in 2016-2018. The primary endpoint was an increase of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) to ≥10kPa. The secondary endpoint was the change in the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). A total of 611 patients with type 2 diabetes and a valid LSM (mean age, 57.7±10.9years; 342 men [56.0%]) were included in this study (568 also had a valid CAP). Overall, there was moderate correlation between the baseline and follow-up LSM (r=0.689, P<0.001). Among 487 patients with a baseline LSM <10kPa, 21 (4.3%) had a follow-up LSM ≥10kPa. Baseline body mass index, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and ∆ALT were independent factors associated with LSM increase. Among 124 patients with a baseline LSM ≥10kPa, 70 (56.5%) had a follow-up LSM <10kPa. Among 198 patients with a CAP <248dB/m at baseline, 103 (52.0%) had a CAP increased to ≥248dB/m. The prevalence and incidence of NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes are high. Although advanced fibrosis is common in this population, few patients progress to advanced fibrosis in 3years. Future studies should define the optimal surveillance interval in patients with diabetes.

Temporal trends in referral patterns for invasive coronary angiography - a multicenter 10-year analysis.

To assess the temporal trends in the usage pattern of non-invasive testing before invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and its diagnostic yield in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Cross-sectional observational multicenter study of 4805 consecutive patients (60% male, mean age 66 ± 10 years) with suspected CAD undergoing elective ICA due to angina pectoris in two centers, from 2008 to 2017. The use of noninvasive testing and the proportion of patients with obstructive CAD (defined as the presence of at least one ≥50% stenosis on ICA) were assessed. There were 4038 (84%) patients referred for ICA with positive noninvasive test, mainly SPECT (38%, n = 1828) and exercise ECG (36%, n = 1731). Obstructive CAD was found in 54.5% (n = 2621) of the patients and 37.9% (n = 1822) underwent revascularization. The prevalence of obstructive CAD was higher in patients with vs. without previous noninvasive testing (55.8% vs. 48.1%, respectively, P < 0.001) and tended to decrease during the study period (P for trend <0.001). Both the presence of obstructive CAD and revascularization rate were higher in patients who underwent anatomical evaluation with CCTA compared with noninvasive functional tests (P = 0.001 and P = 0.018, respectively). The number of patients referred after exercise testing and SPECT decreased (p for trend 0.005 and 0.006, respectively) and after CCTA and stress CMR increased (both P for trend <0.001). The proportion of patients referred without previous testing remained stable. Nearly half of the patients undergoing ICA for suspected CAD did not have obstructive coronary lesions. This proportion tended to increase over the 10-year span of this study. Better clinical assessment tools and diagnostic pathways for stable CAD are warranted.

Preferred Noninvasive Testing for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

There has been an increased interest in the use of noninvasive tests (NITs) to identify advanced liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD). The aim of our study was to define the change in tests' characteristics (sensitivity and specificity) of different combinations of NITs to detect advanced fibrosis in NAFLD. We stratified NITs into first and second tiers and compared two different strategies of combining NITs to screen for advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. One strategy was using NITs in parallel, and the other was using NITs sequentially. Within both of these strategies, there were two ways of interpreting the overall results. The first way was called "the AND rule," where a positive result required both individual test results to be positive. The second way was called "the OR rule," where a positive result required only one individual test to be positive. Accuracy of NITs was obtained from the literature search. Combined accuracy and likelihood ratio (LR) were calculated. Combination testing with parallel and sequential order testing under the AND Rule resulted in overall higher specificity and LR+ then using the NITs alone. Specificity ranged from 0.91 to 0.99, and LR+ from 9.3 to 68.6. The subsequent use of MRE was associated with LR+ between 36 and 69. Sensitivity was higher with parallel and sequential order testing under the OR Rule. LR+ ranged from 1.4 to 7.5, and sensitivity from 0.82 to 0.98. Screening for advanced fibrosis should be performed sequentially, with positive results confirmed by additional testing. Specificity and LR+ were highest when MRE was employed as the confirmatory test.

Radiographic features in investigated for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: a nested case-control study

BackgroundPneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) can be challenging to diagnose, often requiring bronchoscopy. Since most patients suspected of PJP undergo imaging, we hypothesized that the findings of these studies could help estimate the probability of disease prior to invasive testing.MethodsWe created a cohort of patients who underwent bronchoscopy specifically to diagnose PJP and conducted a nested case-control study to compare the radiographic features between patients with (n = 72) and without (n = 288) pathologically proven PJP. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify radiographic features independently associated with PJP.ResultsChest x-ray findings poorly predicted the diagnosis of PJP. However, multivariable analysis of CT scan findings found that “increased interstitial markings” (OR 4.3; 95%CI 2.2–8.2), “ground glass opacities” (OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.2–9.1) and the radiologist’s impression of PJP being “possible” (OR 2.0; 95%CI 1.0–4.1) or “likely” (OR 9.3; 95%CI 3.4–25.3) were independently associated with the final diagnosis (c-statistic 0.75).ConclusionsWhere there is clinical suspicion of PJP, the use of CT scan can help determine the probability of PJP. Identifying patients at low risk of PJP may enable better use of non-invasive testing to avoid bronchoscopy while higher probability patients could be prioritized.

Identification of Patients with Advanced Fibrosis Due to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Considerations for Best Practice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) prevalence has increased in the past two decades, resulting in a significant but under-recognised public health burden. This impacts the prevalence of advanced fibrosis, end-stage liver disease and associated extrahepatic manifestations. To understand the challenges in recognising patients with advanced fibrosis due to NASH and develop a standardised approach to screen these patients, the authors of this document provided their opinions and expertise from practice and published evidence to identify key challenges and current approaches for diagnosing NASH. The severity of liver fibrosis due to NASH is the main indicator of associated morbidity and mortality outcomes. Therefore, identifying patients with, or at risk of, advanced fibrosis due to NASH and linking them to appropriate care is critical. This can be challenging due to a lack of awareness of NASH among healthcare professionals and a lack of standardised protocols for identifying patients. Simple noninvasive tests may provide an opportunity to facilitate early identification of these patients. This article proposes a simple, universally applicable diagnostic algorithm for use in clinical practice, that includes sequential use of noninvasive tests, ideally a biological marker and an imaging technique, which may help to facilitate early diagnosis of these patients. In the opinion of the authors, early detection of advanced fibrosis is fundamental in the efforts to halt the progression of NASH and diagnostic algorithms may facilitate pre-emptive interventions to curtail the disease.

Non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis in NAFLD: Creating pathways between primary healthcare and liver clinics.

Despite affecting around one-fourth of the general population worldwide, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains a largely under-recognized disease in primary healthcare, with not more than 10% of patients diagnosed with NAFLD referred to specialists. The main challenge in clinical practice is the identification of those with advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, as they are at the greatest risk of developing complications. Liver biopsy appears to be an unrealistic and unsuitable option because of the large number of high-risk patients and the well-known limitations of this technique. This has favoured the development of non-invasive tests, which have been an area of intensive research in the past decade. Transient elastography, FIB-4 and the NAFLD fibrosis score are the most extensively used and best validated tests, with summary AUROC values for detecting advanced fibrosis in NAFLD patients of 0.88, 0.84 and 0.84 respectively. Although much work remains to be done to establish cost-effective strategies for the screening for advanced fibrosis, the sequential use of non-invasive tests (serum biomarkers, then measurement of liver stiffness using transient elastography) appears to be the most promising strategy. The next step is to establish effective pathways in primary healthcare and/or diabetes clinics where most NAFLD patients are seen, to identify those who need to be referred to liver clinics for further assessment.

FIB-5 versus FIB-4 index for assessment of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B affected patients.

Aim of the studyChronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major health problems worldwide. Use of non-invasive tests for assessment of hepatic fibrosis such as the FIB-4 index could be used to avoid liver biopsy. Another promising noninvasive test, FIB-5, could also be used to detect significant hepatic fibrosis. The aim of the study was to compare the use of FIB-5 and FIB-4 as noninvasive markers to assess chronic HBV-related hepatic fibrosis.Material and methodsThis study was done on 176 chronic HBV patients who underwent liver biopsy. Grading and staging of liver fibrosis was done according to the METAVIR scoring system. FIB-5 and FIB-4 scores were calculated for all patients.ResultsAs regards FIB-4 for differentiation between non-significant fibrosis (group I) and significant fibrosis (group II), at a cutoff level of 1.28 with positive predictive value (PPV) 41.4% and specificity 48% while at a cutoff level of 7.08 with PPV 98.8% and specificity 98% for FIB-5.ConclusionsAs regards both scores, the FIB-5 score was more specific than FIB-4 for diagnosing significant from nonsignificant hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Correction to: Cardiac Troponin to Guide the Use of Noninvasive Testing in Patients Ruled Out for Myocardial Infarction.

Correction to: Cardiac Troponin to Guide the Use of Noninvasive Testing in Patients Ruled Out for Myocardial Infarction.

From the Editor’s desk…: August 2019

From the Editor’s desk…: August 2019

CHALLENGES OF DIAGNOSIS OF OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: THE ROLE OF NON-INVASIVE TESTING

High mortality from cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary artery disease (CAD), represents a major economic burden on healthcare systems. The number of diagnostic coronary angiographies (CAG) is increasing in the Russian Federation. However, routine invasive CAG is not able to determine obstructive coronary artery disease in a considerable number of patients. The rate of intact coronary arteries reaches 42% in the major registries and accounts for 37.9% in our Research Institute. Despite all improvements in the diagnostic algorithms focused on suspected coronary artery disease, stated in the recent international and national guidelines, and the availability of advanced non-invasive diagnostic methods, they do not improve accurate CAG diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease. Moreover, the available guidelines contain many contradictions. Therefore, an optimal diagnostic algorithm of significant coronary artery lesions is a subject of discussion. The proposed review discusses all discrepancies concerning the assessment of the pretest probability as well as the proposed non-invasive testing. In addition, the preferred use of non-invasive tests with anatomical assessment (i.e. multispiral computed tomography coronary imaging) rather than functional tests with visualization is stated. This review ensures better understanding of diagnostic strategies for stable coronary artery disease used both in researches and in clinical practice.

Non-invasive Fibrosis Testing in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Summarizing the available evidence and advantages and disadvantages of the use of non-invasive tests for the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, including before and during antiviral therapy. Staging of liver fibrosis and early detection of compensated cirrhosis are critical in the treatment decisions and surveillance of HBV patients. Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis has been one of the major advances in hepatology over the past decade, relying either on the dosage of serum biomarkers or on the measurement of liver stiffness, using either ultrasound- or magnetic resonance-based elastography techniques. The most widely used and validated tests in HBV patients are APRI, FIB-4 (non-patented), and FibroTest-Fibrosure® (patented) for serum biomarkers and transient elastography. Liver stiffness also has prognostic value in the context of cirrhosis. Non-invasive tests are now recommended by national and international guidelines as first-line tools for fibrosis assessment.

Diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Non-invasive tests are enough.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a major cause of liver disease worldwide and the most common liver disorder in Western countries, affecting around 25% of the general population. Fibrosis is the major long-term histological prognostic criteria of this disease. Liver biopsy cannot be realistically performed in such a huge population and, moreover, has well-known limitations (invasiveness, rare but potentially life-threatening complications and sampling variability). Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in alternative novel strategies for the non-invasive evaluation of fibrosis. These tests rely on two different but complementary approaches: either measuring the levels of serum biomarkers, or liver stiffness, using ultrasound-based elastography techniques. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, transient elastography, FIB-4 and the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score are the best validated tests, with summary area under the ROC curve values for diagnosing severe fibrosis-cirrhosis of 0.88, 0.84 and 0.84 respectively. They can also identify the subgroup of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients at high risk of developing liver-related complications and death. As a result, non-invasive tests are now widely used in routine clinical practice and included in national and international guidelines. The next step is the use of non-invasive tests as first-line tools for screening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the general population to identify patients who should be referred to specialized centres.

Protocolo diagnóstico de la enfermedad venosa crónica

IntroductionThe diagnosis of chronic venous disease mainly is based on clinical findings and symptoms. Duplex ultrasoundIn doubtful cases, non-response to treatment, or surgical approach (but not strictly for diagnosis), the use of noninvasive tests are indicated, mainly Duplex ultrasound. PlethysmographyPlethysmography quantitatively measures the intensity of chronic venous disease and is used for the development of clinical trials. Other testsThe invasive tests as phlebography, Angio-CT and Angio- MR have limited the indications to compressive syndromes and doubtful or anatomically complex cases. Technological advances has allowed implement explorations that are still developing their indications and usefulness as the intravascular ultrasound.