Coronary angioplasty and coronary artery remodeling.

Coronary artery remodeling is an active process of structural changes in vascular wall structures, in response to varied physiologic or pathologic stimuli. In the past few years, the advent of a new imaging modality such as intravascular ultrasound has allowed in vivo studies, increasing our understanding of this phenomenon. This article reviews some fundamental concepts of coronary vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and after angioplasty.