ABSTRACT
The advent of intravascular imaging has been a significant advancement in visualization of coronary arteries, particularly with optical coherence tomography (OCT) that allows for high-resolution imaging of intraluminal and transmural coronary structures. Accumulating data support a clinical role for OCT in a multitude of clinical scenarios, including assessing the natural history of atherosclerosis and modulating effects of therapies, mechanisms of acute coronary syndromes, mechanistic insights into the effects of novel interventional devices, and optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention. In this state-of-the-art review, we provide an overview of the published data on the clinical utility of OCT, highlighting the areas that need further investigation and the current barriers for further adoption of OCT in interventional cardiology practice.