title: Implication of plaque color classification for assessing plaque vulnerability: a coronary angioscopy and optical coherence tomography investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between plaque color evaluated by coronary angioscopy and fibrous cap thickness estimated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in vivo.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Yellow color intensity of coronary plaque evaluated by coronary angioscopy might be associated with plaque vulnerability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven coronary artery plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome were observed by angioscopy and OCT. Plaque color was graded as white, light yellow, yellow, or intensive yellow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences among the groups classified by plaque color with respect to the fibrous cap thickness estimated by OCT: 389 +/- 74 mum in white plaques, 228 +/- 51 microm in light yellow plaques, 115 +/- 28 microm in yellow plaques, and 59 +/- 14 microm in intensive yellow plaques (p < 0.0001). In Spearman rank-order correlation analysis, there was a significant negative correlation between yellow color intensity and fibrous cap thickness (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, 80% of intensive yellow plaques were thin cap fibroatheroma with a cap thickness of < or =65 microm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plaque color in coronary angioscopy was determined by the fibrous cap thickness, which was assessed by OCT. Although coronary angioscopy remains a specialized research tool, it might allow us to evaluate plaque vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imanishi
authors.forename: Shigeho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takarada
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuroi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masho
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitabata
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizukoshi
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomobuchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akasaka
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D017546:Angioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*