Atherosclerotic diseases account for nearly half of all deaths and are leading causes of adult
disability. Our understanding of how atherosclerosis leads to cardiovascular disease events
has evolved: from a concept of progressive luminal narrowing, to that of sudden rupture and
thrombosis of biologically active atheroma. In concert with this conceptual shift,
contemporary imaging techniques now allow imaging of biological processes that associate
with plaque instability: active calcification and plaque inflammation. This review focuses on …