title: Optical coherence tomography accurately identifies intermediate atherosclerotic lesions--an in vivo evaluation in the rabbit carotid artery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify very early stages of atherosclerosis in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve New Zealand white male rabbits (weight 3.5-4.0 kg) underwent perivascular electrical injury of the common carotid arteries, and were then fed a cholesterol-rich diet. At 43+/-16 (range 27-63) days after injury, arteries were imaged by OCT, then rabbits were euthanized and vessels processed for histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 14 carotid arteries were imaged by OCT and histology; 22 atherosclerotic lesions were identified, 16 (73%) occurring at the site of the electrical injury. At histology, 4 lesions were defined as Stary type I (isolated macrophages), 8 as type II (intracellular lipid accumulations), and 10 as type III (small extracellular lipid pools). No advanced (> or =type IV) lesions were documented. OCT failed to detect any type I lesions, but correctly defined a minority (2/8, 25%) of type II lesions and the majority (8/10, 80%) of type III lesions. For type III lesions, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of OCT were 80%, 95%, and 95%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCT can accurately detect intermediate (type-III) atherosclerotic lesions in vivo, but still fails to identify earlier stages of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology and Centre of Excellence, G. d'Annunzio University-Chieti, Ospedale S. Camillo de Lellis, Via Forlanini 50, 66100 Chieti, Italy. m.zimarino@unich.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimarino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prati
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stabile
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pizzicannella
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fouad
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filippini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabozzi
authors.forename: Oriana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Trubiani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzicannella
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Caterina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids