title: Detailed observation of arterial healing after stent implantation in swine arteries by using optical coherence tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Histopathological examination is not suitable for sequential in vivo analysis of arterial healing after stenting because it can be performed only after the animals are killed. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides higher resolution than intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The aim of this study was to compare arterial healing images after stenting on the basis of the findings of histopathological examination, IVUS, and OCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 12 vessels; 12 bare-metal stents were implanted in 6 miniature swine. Histopathological examination, IVUS, and OCT imaging were performed at 1 and 4 weeks after stenting. For quantitative analysis of IVUS and OCT images, we examined cross-sectional frames at 1-mm intervals. For neointimal coverage analysis, the neointimal coverage score was classified into 1 of the 4 categories. A fully covered strut was scored as 3, a partially covered strut was scored as 1 or 2, and an uncovered strut was scored as 0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In IVUS and OCT analyses, the average neointimal thickness increased between 1 and 4 weeks (p < 0.0001). OCT revealed higher scores at 1 and 4 weeks than IVUS did (at week 1, p < 0.0001; at week 4, p < 0.0001). OCT analysis evaluated the neointimal coverage similarly to histopathological examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On assessment of arterial healing after stenting, we found that the results of the histological examination were more similar to those of the OCT analysis than to those of the IVUS. An OCT imaging device can be used to precisely and sequentially analyze the arterial healing process after stenting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asawa
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanatani
authors.forename: Kenei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muro
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshiyama
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D058426:Neointima / Q000209:etiology; D015607:Stents; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014945:Wound Healing