title: Plaque morphology at coronary sites with focal spasm in variant angina: study using intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: In the present study, the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) morphologic appearance of coronary atherosclerotic plaque associated with focal spasm was prospectively studied in 45 patients with or without focal coronary spasm provoked by ergonovine or acetylcholine. The percent plaque area and plaque arc were determined from the IVUS images at the sites of spasm. Calcified lesion was defined as the presence of high-intensity echo with acoustic shadowing. Twenty-three patients had focal coronary spasm defined as angiographic narrowing >75% and IVUS demonstrated atherosclerotic plaque in these 23 sites. In the 22 patients without focal spasm, IVUS demonstrated 18 atherosclerotic lesions in 17 patients and the remaining 5 patients did not have significant lesions. There was no difference in the percent plaque area and plaque arc between plaque lesions with (47+/-10%, 298+/-71 degrees ) and without (39+/-15%, 249+/-83 degrees ) coronary spasm. Interestingly, calcified lesion was less frequently present at the sites with than at those without spasm (p<0.05). These results indicate that the presence of plaque without calcification is likely to be related to the occurrence of focal vasospasm, although the severity and distribution of the disease did not differ between each patient group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Second Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Tadateru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiku
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashikata
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Seguchi
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Honye
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanmatsuse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*