title: Comparison of carotid plaque tissue characteristics in patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable angina pectoris: assessment by iPlaque, transcutaneous carotid ultrasonography with integrated backscatter analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association of the tissue characteristics of carotid plaques with coronary artery disease has attracted interest. The present study compared the tissue characteristics of carotid plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with those in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) using the iPlaque system, which is based on ultrasound integrated backscatter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid ultrasound examinations were performed in 26 patients with ACS, and 38 age- and gender-matched patients with SAP. Neither plaque area nor maximal intima-media thickness differed significantly between the two groups. However, the average integrated backscatter value within the plaque was greater in the ACS patients than in the SAP patients. iPlaque analysis revealed that the percentage blue area (lipid pool) was greater in the ACS patients than in the SAP patients (43.4 ± 11.2 vs 18.3 ± 10.3%, p < 0.0001), and that the percentage green area (fibrosis) was lower in the ACS than in the SAP patients (7.5 ± 7.5% vs 20.7 ± 11.7%, p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lipid component of carotid plaques is greater in ACS patients than in SAP patients. Our iPlaque system provides a useful and feasible method for the tissue characterization of carotid plaques in the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. bandom@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. yamadah@tokushima-u.ac.jp.|Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. yamadah@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. kusunosek@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusunose
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. daiju.fukuda@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Daiju
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. amano.rie@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. tamai831@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. torii.yuta@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. hiratay@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. nishios@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. yamakoji3@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. soeki@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soeki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. wakatsukitz@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakatsuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan. masataka.sata@tokushima-u.ac.jp.|Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. masataka.sata@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D018511:Systems Integration; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*