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Ubiquitous atherosclerosis in coronary arteries without angiographically significant stenosis

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Abstract

Previous intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies have shown coronary artery atherosclerosis even in angiographically normal reference segment. However, IVUS has not been performed in all of the three major coronary arteries. A total of 50 patients with single-vessel disease underwent IVUS evaluation in the proximal two-thirds of the three major coronary arteries. Lumen and external elastic membrane cross-sectional areas were measured at 1-mm intervals. To compensate the difference in pullback length among coronary arteries, normalized total plaque and media volume (TPV) was calculated as TPV/number of slices in pullback × median number of slices in study population. Percent plaque and media volume (PPV) was calculated as TPV/Σ external elastic membrane cross-sectional area × 100. A cross section was defined as atherosclerotic if maximum intimal thickness exceeded 0.5 mm at any point in the vessel circumference. There was no significant difference in normalized TPV, PPV, and the incidence of abnormal intimal thickness between coronary arteries with and without significant stenosis. Frequency distribution of plaque burden was similar. Atherosclerosis is ubiquitous even in coronary arteries without angiographically significant stenosis. The extent of atherosclerosis is similar between coronary arteries with and without significant stenosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Science and Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

    Naoki Ishio, Yoshio Kobayashi, Yo Iwata, Hideki Kitahara, Kenichi Fukushima, Tatsuhiko Asano, Takashi Nakayama, Nakabumi Kuroda & Issei Komuro

  2. Interventional Cardiology, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8677, Japan

    Yoshio Kobayashi

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  1. Naoki Ishio
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  2. Yoshio Kobayashi
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  3. Yo Iwata
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  4. Hideki Kitahara
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  5. Kenichi Fukushima
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  6. Tatsuhiko Asano
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  7. Takashi Nakayama
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  8. Nakabumi Kuroda
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  9. Issei Komuro
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Correspondence to Yoshio Kobayashi.

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Ishio, N., Kobayashi, Y., Iwata, Y. et al. Ubiquitous atherosclerosis in coronary arteries without angiographically significant stenosis. Heart Vessels 25, 35–40 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-009-1161-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-009-1161-2

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