Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and given its association with age, the prevalence of CAVD is expected to rise with an increase in worldwide life expectancy. Currently, no therapies exist for the treatment or prevention of CAVD. Much of our understanding of the progression of CAVD has originated from preclinical data using optical molecular imaging of animal models. Through these studies we now know that CAVD is an inflammatory disease with a fibrocalcific endpoint. In this chapter, we will review the preclinical molecular imaging data that have shaped our current understanding of CAVD, and we will discuss the future role that molecular imaging technologies may play in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
