title: Intravascular ultrasound imaging in the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques in rabbit abdominal aorta: comparison with histologic findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the correlation between the echogenicity and the components of atherosclerotic plaques in rabbit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The atherosclerotic plaque formation in the abdominal aortas of hyperlipidemic or normolipidemic rabbits was stimulated by inserting polyethylene tubing. Intravascular ultrasound (30-MHz, 4.5 F catheter) investigation was performed at locations in the vessel. The intravascular ultrasound images of the plaques were evaluated and compared with the histologic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ultrasound images delineated areas showing hyperechoic or hypoechoic ultrasound beams in the plaques. Histologic studies revealed that the hyperechoic areas were closely associated with a dense fibrous extracellular matrix, whereas the hypoechoic areas corresponded to lesions showing a marked accumulation of foamy macrophages or proteoglycan-rich loose myxoid extracellular matrix with smooth muscle cell proliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A good correlation between ultrasound images and histologic features was observed. These results suggest that intravascular ultrasound imaging could provide useful information for assessing the tissue characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Miyazaki Medical College, Kiyotake, Japan. ochiair@post1.miyazaki-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Reiji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kisanuki
authors.forename: Yujiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asato
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sumiyoshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D014463:Ultrasonography