In vivo diagnosis of pulmonary atherosclerosis. Role of intravascular ultrasound.

The application of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in diagnosing pulmonary artery atherosclerosis is described. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of the use of this technique in the recognition of pulmonary atherosclerosis. We describe a patient with long-standing primary pulmonary hypertension with evidence of pulmonary artery calcification seen on a chest x-ray film. The IVUS imaging of the pulmonary arteries identified intimal disruption with complex atherosclerosis. Thus, IVUS can be a useful tool in the diagnosis of pulmonary artery atherosclerosis.