Which statement best describes IVUS transducer imaging targets?

• A. Imaging vessel walls from inside arteries.
• B. Imaging from the esophagus close to the heart.
• C. External imaging of abdominal organs.
• D. Cardiac MRI.

Answer: (A)

IVUS uses a tiny ultrasound transducer mounted on a catheter that is threaded into a vessel. From inside the artery, it emits waves and builds cross-sectional images of the lumen and the surrounding vessel wall, giving high-resolution detail about plaque, vessel size, and wall morphology. This intravascular vantage is what IVUS is designed for, setting it apart from other imaging approaches.

The other options describe different modalities—esophageal (transesophageal) imaging, external abdominal ultrasound, or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging—none of which use an intravascular transducer to image the vessel wall from within the artery.