Current status of intravascular ultrasonography.

Intravascular ultrasonography provides unique diagnostic information about vessel wall structure and underlying disease. It has been shown to be superior in both the detection of atherosclerotic plaque and in the quantification of extended disease. Future applications will include three-dimensional ultrasound and integration into interventional devices. It has been of particular clinical value in the performance of percutaneous atherectomy and intravascular stent deployment.