Cutting-edge progress of intravascular ultrasound in lower-extremity vascular interventions

Abstract

Lower-extremity vascular disease has a high morbidity rate and often leads to disability and death in its advanced stages. Although angiography-guided endovascular intervention is the primary treatment for peripheral vascular disease, it frequently fails to detect subtle lumen features and falls short of meeting the increasing clinical need for precise management. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) merges noninvasive ultrasound imaging with invasive catheterization techniques, providing 360° imaging of the vascular cross-section and delivering accurate information about lesion morphology. IVUS has been crucial in supporting decisionmaking for preoperative assessment, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative optimization during vascular interventions. This review aims to summarize the latest applications of IVUS in lower-extremity vascular disease, discuss its strengths and limitations, and explore future directions for its use.