title: Factors affecting the occurrence and degree of luminal protrusion of carotid plaques after angioplasty stenting: an ex-vivo clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate possible protrusions through stent cells, and the factors affecting protrusions after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This ex-vivo clinical study was performed between July 2010 and August 2011 at the Department of Radiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. After approval by the Institutional Board, 15 successive carotid plaques, which were obtained intact after endarterectomies were included in the study. Plaques were placed into vascular grafts. Stent implantations and balloon angioplasties were performed. Afterwards, models were scanned with multislice CT and inner surfaces of stents were observed via fiberoptic endoscope. Protrusion measurement was carried out on endoscopic images according to a scale assuming the width of stent cell as one unit in the same level of each plaque protrusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptomatic plaques were lighter, less calcified. Plaque weights were inversely correlated to protrusion numbers and diameters of the narrowest segments of stents. Although they did not reach to statistically significant level, plaques having high protrusion numbers were more symptomatic and less calcified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plaque protrusions into the lumen were apparent in our ex-vivo CAS model. The main factor increasing protrusions appeared to relate to the presence of symptoms before endarterectomy.
authors: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. serkanguneyli@yahoo.com
authors: Serkan
authors: S
authors: Guneyli
authors: Ismail
authors: I
authors: Oran
authors: Celal
authors: C
authors: Cinar
authors: Ibrahim
authors: I
authors: Erdinc
authors: Cem
authors: C
authors: Bilgen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015607:Stents