Study of restenosis in drug eluting stents: new insights from greyscale intravascular ultrasound and virtual histology.

In current cardiology practice, many patients undergo secondary revascularisation due to reduced long-term vein graft patency or in-stent restenosis. In this report, we describe causes of drug-eluting stent restenosis identifiable by intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) and variables related to restenosis used for reporting greyscale IVUS. In addition, IVUS findings in bypass grafts and the long-term results after stent implantation are provided. Finally, the usefulness of IVUS virtual histology for the study of restenosis is described.