title: Assessment of angiographic coronary calcification and plaque composition in virtual histology intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the relation between coronary plaque composition and angiographic calcification by using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The plaque vulnerability according to angiographic calcification is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 140 consecutive patients (145 lesions) undergoing VH-IVUS before percutaneous coronary intervention. Subjects were divided into 4 groups: no calcification group (n = 27), spotty group (n = 65) that had calcium deposits under 90° in grayscale IVUS, intermediate group (n = 37) had calcium deposits with 90° or more and under 180°, and extensive group (n = 16) had calcium deposits with 180° or more.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of VH thin-cap fibroatheromas in spotty group was significantly larger than no calcification group, intermediate group, and extensive group (0.66 ± 0.71 vs 0.22 ± 0.42 [P < 0.01], 0.32 ± 0.48 [P < 0.05], 0.13 ± 0.34 [P < 0.01], respectively). Spotty group without angiographic calcification had significantly larger %necrotic core than with angiographic calcification (24.5 ± 6.7% vs 19.9 ± 7.2%, P < 0.05). Intermediate group without angiographic calcification had significantly larger necrotic core area than with angiographic calcification (2.5 ± 0.9 mm(2) vs 1.7 ± 0.9 mm(2) , P < 0.05). Extensive group with angiographic calcification had significantly larger %dense calcium than without angiographic calcification (18.3 ± 4.0% vs 13.4 ± 4.4%, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lesions with spotty calcification was highly vulnerable in VH-IVUS. Spotty or intermediate plaque calcification without angiographic calcification was more vulnerable than those with angiographic calcification. Extensive plaque calcification with angiographic calcification had more dense calcium than those without angiographic calcification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Mikihito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Daiga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery