Table 1

 Methods to assess plaque vulnerability18–21

1. Intravascular ultrasound
• Three dimensional reconstruction
• Ultrasound elastography (palpography)
• Intravascular ultrasound flow measurements
• Virtual histology
2. Angioscopy
• Direct visualisation
• Optical coherence tomography
• RAMAN (near infrared) spectroscopy
3. Thermography
4. Computed tomography
• Contrast
• Ultrafast
5. Magnetic resonance
• Phase contrast
• Nuclear
• Intravascular