The ultrastructure of animal atherosclerosis: what has been done, and the electron microscopy advancements that could help scientists answer new biological questions.

Electron microscopy is a powerful technique that has been used to answer numerous structure related research questions in all fields, including atherosclerotic research. Recent technology developments are expanding the capabilities of electron microscopy to address the physiology and pathology of arterial function. The purpose of this review is to describe what was known about the ultrastructure of atherosclerosis in the mid 1990s, what has been added to this knowledge basis since then, and to detail some of the recent electron microscopy techniques that could allow us to shed light on hitherto unaddressed aspects of this disease.