Inflammation as a determinant of healing response after coronary stent implantation

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Inflammation plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients after percutaneous coronary interventions. Data on stent elements that lead to excessive inflammatory response, proper identification of high-risk patients, prevention and treatment targeting residual inflammatory risk are limited. This review aims to present the role of inflammation in the context of evolving stent technologies and appraise the potential imaging modalities in detection of inflammatory response and anti-inflammatory therapies.

Keywords: Coronary computed tomography angiography; Healing response; Inflammation; Optical coherence tomography.

Fig. 1

Adverse events potentially related to inflammation after percutaneous coronary intervention. BMS bare metal stent, DES drug eluting stent, BVS bioresorbable scaffold

Fig. 2

The optical coherence tomography signs of inflammation with the dominant and differential histopathological findings