[Noninvasive diagnostic imaging technique for arteriosclerotic lesion].

The purpose of noninvasive examination of arteriosclerotic lesions is to detect early lesions that are associated with a substantial risk of cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, obstructive arteriosclerosis, aneurysm and arterial dissection, and to develop a treatment strategy for reducing the risk of arteriosclerotic lesions. The spread of the noninvasive diagnostic imaging techniques, such as vascular ultrasound, MDCT and MRI has brought about a significant improvement in the morphological assessment of arteriosclerotic lesions in routine clinical practice. In particular, the development of equipment for MDCT and MRI is remarkable, both techniques having the potential to become the gold standard for the assessment of arteriosclerotic lesions in the future. In this article, we shall review the current status of noninvasive diagnostic imaging of arteriosclerotic lesions showing rapid progression.