title: Geographical predisposition influences on the distribution and tissue characterisation of eccentric coronary plaques in non-branching coronary arteries: cross-sectional study of coronary plaques analysed by intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the influence of geographical predisposition on the spatial distribution and composition of coronary plaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty coronary arteries were evaluated. A total of 1441 cross-sections were collected from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and radio-frequency signal-based virtual histology (VH-IVUS) imaging. To exclude complex geographical effects of side branches and to localise the plaque distribution, we analysed only eccentric plaques in non-branching regions. The spatial distribution of eccentric plaques in the coronary artery was classified into myocardial, lateral, and epicardial regions. The composition of eccentric plaques was analysed using VH-IVUS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plaque was concentric in 723 sections (50.2%) and eccentric in 718 (49.9%). Eccentric plaques were more frequently distributed towards the myocardial side than towards the epicardial side (46.7 ± 7.5% vs. 12.5 ± 4.2%, p = 0.003). No significant difference was observed between the myocardial and lateral sides (46.7 ± 7.5% vs. 20.8 ± 5.0%) or between the lateral and epicardial sides. Eccentric thin-capped fibroatheromas were more frequently distributed towards the myocardial side than towards the lateral side (p = 0.024) or epicardial side (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Geographical predisposition is associated with distribution, tissue characterisation, and vulnerability of plaques in non-branching coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.|Cardiovascular Centre, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusou Hospital, Tokyo, 270-1613, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. htakano@nms.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Centre, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusou Hospital, Tokyo, 270-1613, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Centre, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusou Hospital, Tokyo, 270-1613, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Noritake
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Centre, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusou Hospital, Tokyo, 270-1613, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyauchi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasushi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Centre, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusou Hospital, Tokyo, 270-1613, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seino
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Plaque distribution; Virtual histology; Vulnerable plaque