Impact of lipoprotein(a) levels on primary patency after endovascular therapy for femoropopliteal lesions.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, the relationship between Lp(a) levels and clinical events after endovascular therapy (EVT) for the femoropopliteal artery in PAD patients remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of Lp(a) levels on primary patency after EVT for de novo femoropopliteal lesions in PAD patients. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 109 patients who underwent EVT for de novo femoropopliteal lesions, and Lp(a) levels were measured before EVT between June 2016 and December 2019. Patients were divided into low Lp(a) [Lp(a) < 30 mg/dL; 78 patients] and high Lp(a) [Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL; 31 patients] groups. The main outcome was primary patency following EVT. Loss of primary patency was defined as a peak systolic velocity ratio > 2.4 on a duplex scan or > 50% stenosis on angiography. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to determine whether high Lp(a) levels were independently associated with loss of primary patency. The mean follow-up duration was 28 months. The rates of primary patency were 83 and 76% at 1 year and 75 and 58% at 2 years in the low and high Lp(a) groups, respectively (P = 0.02). After multivariate analysis, High Lp(a)[Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL] (hazard ratio 2.44; 95% CI 1.10-5.44; P = 0.03) and female sex (hazard ratio 2.65; 95% CI 1.27-5.51; P < 0.01) were independent predictors of loss of primary patency. Lp(a) levels might be associated with primary patency after EVT for de novo femoropopliteal lesions.

Heterogeneous vascular response after implantation of bare nitinol self-expanding stents in the swine femoropopliteal artery.

BACKGROUND: Mechanism of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis has been underappreciated. AIM: The aim of this animal study was to elucidate vascular response after femoropopliteal bare nitinol self-expanding stents (SESs) implantation. METHODS: Misago, Smart Flex, or Innova stent was randomly implanted in 36 swine femoropopliteal arteries. At week 4, quantitative vessel analysis (QVA) was performed on 36 legs, of which 18 underwent histological evaluation after angiography. The remaining 18 legs underwent QVA and histological evaluation at week 13. RESULTS: Fibrin deposition was excessive at week 4. Internal elastic lamina (IEL) progressively enlarged over time, and vessel injury developed from mild level at week 4 to moderate level at week 13. Vessel inflammatory reaction was mild to moderate at week 4, and was moderate to severe at week 13. Increased fibrin deposition was an early-acting, IEL enlargement and increased vessel inflammation were long-acting, and increased vessel injury and giant cells infiltration were late-acting contributors to neointimal hyperplasia (NIH). Stent type altered time-dependent process of vessel injury, vessel inflammation, eosinophils and giant cells infiltration. Misago had less fibrin deposition and vessel enlargement, and less progressive vessel injury, vessel inflammation, and eosinophils and giant cells infiltration. Net lumen as assessed by percent diameter stenosis or minimum lumen diameter was preserved with Misago, but was not preserved with the other stents. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of bare nitinol SES platform with less progressive mechanical stress and inflammatory reaction, the advantage of less NIH outweighed the disadvantage of less vessel enlargement, leading to net lumen preservation.

Potential of optical frequency domain imaging for differentiation between early and advanced coronary atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated whether optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) accurately distinguish between fibroatheroma (FA) and pathological intimal thickening (PIT) compared with histopathology. METHODS: A total of 631 histological cross-sections from 14 autopsy hearts were analyzed for the comparison between OFDI and histological images. Of those, 190 (30%) sections were diagnosed with PIT and 120 (19%) with FA. The OFDI signal attenuation rate was calculated from an exponential. The lipid length was measured longitudinally by detection of sequential OFDI frames within a plaque segment containing lipids. The lipid arc was measured with a protractor centered in the center of the lumen. The fibrous cap thickness was defined as the minimum thickness of the signal rich band overlying PIT and FA. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the OFDI signal attenuation rate between FA and PIT (3.09 ± 1.04 versus 2.79 ± 1.20, p = 0.13). However, the lipid length was significantly longer, the maximum lipid arc was significantly larger, and the fibrous cap thickness was significantly thinner in FA than in PIT (7.5 [4.3-10.3] mm versus 4.3 [2.7-5.8] mm, p < 0.0001, 125 [101-174]° versus 96 [74-131]°, p < 0.0001, and 220 [167-280] µm versus 260 [190-332] µm, p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed OFDI may have the potential capability for discriminating FA from PIT based on the longitudinal and circumferential extent of lipid plaque, although the OFDI signal attenuation rate was similar between FA and PIT.

Impact of lipoprotein (a) on long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention in the era of new generation drug-eluting stents.

BACKGROUND: High lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] levels are associated with worse long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there are limited studies investigating association between Lp (a) levels and long-term outcomes in the era of new generation drug-eluting stents (DES). METHODS: A total of 495 patients with available data on Lp (a) who underwent PCI for de novo lesions with new generation DES were enrolled between 2013 and 2017. The primary endpoint was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which was defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and revascularization for new lesions during 3 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the Lp (a) level: high Lp (a) group (≥30 mg/dL: n = 109) and low Lp (a) group (30 mg/dL>: n = 386). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors for 3-year MACE. RESULTS: The incidence of 3-year MACE was significantly higher in high Lp (a) group than low Lp (a) group (33.0% vs. 15.9%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that Lp (a) level of ≥30 mg/dL was an independent predictor for 3-year MACE (HR 2.01, 95%CI 1.30-3.11, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: High Lp (a) level was associated with worse long-term outcome even in the era of new generation DES.

Mechanisms of gradual pressure drop in angiographically normal left anterior descending and right coronary artery: Insights from wave intensity analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the mechanism of decline in coronary pressure from the proximal to the distal part of the coronary arteries in the left anterior descending (LAD) versus the right coronary artery (RCA) from the insight of coronary hemodynamics using wave intensity analysis (WIA). METHODS: Twelve patients with angiographically normal LAD and RCA were prospectively enrolled. Distal coronary pressure, mean aortic pressure, and average peak velocity were measured at 4 different positions: 9, 6, 3, and 0 cm distal from each coronary ostium. RESULTS: The distal-to-proximal coronary pressure ratio during maximum hyperemia gradually decreased in proportion to the distance from the ostium (0.92±0.03 and 0.98±0.03 at 9 cm distal to the LAD and RCA ostium). WIA showed the dominant forward-traveling compression wave gradually decreased and the backward-traveling suction wave gradually decreased in proportion to the decrease in coronary pressure through the length of the non-diseased LAD but not the RCA. CONCLUSIONS: The pushing wave and suction wave intensities on WIA were diminished in proportion to the distance from the ostium of the LAD despite the wave intensity not changing across the length of the RCA, which may lead to gradual intracoronary pressure drop in the angiographically normal LAD.

Relationship Between Lipoprotein(a) and Angiographic Severity of Femoropopliteal Lesions.

AIM: High levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are a risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, the relationship between Lp(a) levels and the severity of femoropopliteal lesions in patients with PAD has not been systematically studied. This study aimed to assess the impact of Lp(a) levels on angiographic severity of femoropopliteal lesions in patients with PAD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a single-center database including 108 patients who underwent endovascular therapy for de novo femoropopliteal lesions and measured the Lp(a) levels before therapy between June 2016 and September 2019. Patients were divided into low Lp(a) [Lp(a) ＜30 mg/dL; 77 patients] and high Lp(a) [Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL; 31 patients] groups. Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) II classification, calcification [referring to the peripheral arterial calcium scoring system (PACSS) classification], and lesion length were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of TASC II class D (13% vs 38%, P＜0.01) and severe calcification (PACSS 4) (6% vs 23%, P=0.02) was significantly higher and the lesion length longer (123±88 mm vs 175±102 mm, P＜0.01) in the high Lp(a) group than in the low Lp(a) group. In multivariate analysis, Lp(a) ≥ 30 was an independent predictor for the prevalence of TASC II class D (HR=3.67, 95% CI 1.27-10.6, P=0.02) and PACSS 4 (HR=4.97, 95% CI 1.27-19.4, P=0.02). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of TASC II class D and severe calcification of femoropopliteal lesions was higher in patients with high Lp(a) than those with low Lp(a).

Comparison of coronary atherosclerotic disease burden between ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Non-culprit Gensini score and non-culprit SYNTAX score.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) have worse long-term prognoses than those with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). HYPOTHESIS: It may be attributable to more extended coronary atherosclerotic disease burden in patients with NSTEMI. METHODS: This study consisted of consecutive 231 patients who underwent coronary intervention for myocardial infarction (MI). To assess the extent and severity of atherosclerotic disease burden of non-culprit coronary arteries, two scoring systems (Gensini score and synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with Taxus and cardiac surgery [SYNTAX] score) were modified by subtracting the score of the culprit lesion: the non-culprit Gensini score and the non-culprit SYNTAX score. RESULTS: Patients with NSTEMI had more multi-vessel disease, initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 2/3, and final TIMI flow grade 3 than those with STEMI. As compared to STEMI, patients with NSTEMI had significantly higher non-culprit Gensini score (16.3 ± 19.8 vs. 31.2 ± 25.4, p < 0.001) and non-culprit SYNTAX score (5.8 ± 7.0 vs. 11.1 ± 9.7, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NSTEMI had more advanced coronary atherosclerotic disease burden including non-obstruction lesions, which may at least in part explain higher incidence of cardiovascular events in these patients.

Influence of Self-Expanding Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent Sizing on Neointimal Hyperplasia in Superficial Femoral Artery Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Although self-expanding drug-eluting stents (DES) have recently shown superior outcomes for superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions, optimal sizing of DES diameter in SFA intervention is unclear.Methods and Results:A total of 40 de novo SFA lesions were randomized 1:1 to receive self-expanding DES with either a 1-mm or 2-mm larger diameter than the reference vessel diameter. Follow-up optical coherence tomography (OCT) was scheduled 6 months after DES implantation to evaluate the vascular response to the stents. Volume index (VI) was defined as volume divided by stent length. The primary endpoint was neointimal VI at 6 months. Baseline reference vessel diameter was similar between the 1-mm larger diameter group and the 2-mm larger diameter group (5.0±0.8 mm vs. 4.7±0.9 mm, P=0.35). Stent diameter was 6.3±0.6 mm in the 1-mm larger group and 7.1±0.6 mm in the 2-mm larger group (P<0.0001), and stent to reference vessel diameter ratio (SV ratio) was 1.3±0.2 and 1.5±0.2 (P<0.0001), respectively. At 6-month, neointimal VI was greater in the 2-mm larger diameter group (5.5±1.5 mm2vs. 9.6±3.4 mm2, P<0.001). The correlation analysis revealed that degree of neointimal VI was positively correlated with SV ratio (r=0.43, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of self-expanding DES with a considerably high SV ratio resulted in neointimal hyperplasia in SFA lesions.

Impact of IVUS-Derived Vessel Size on Midterm Outcomes After Stent Implantation in Femoropopliteal Lesions.

Purpose: To identify intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings that predict midterm stent patency in femoropopliteal (FP) lesions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 335 de novo FP lesions in 274 consecutive patients (mean age 72.4±8.2 years; 210 men) who had IVUS assessment before and after successful stent implantation. The mean lesion length was 13.2±9.8 cm. The primary outcome was primary patency at 24 months, defined as freedom from major adverse limb event (MALE) and in-stent restenosis (ISR). MALE was defined as major amputation or any target lesion revascularization (TLR). ISR was defined by a peak systolic velocity ratio >2.4 by duplex ultrasonography. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of stent patency at 24 months; the results are presented as the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal threshold for prediction of stent patency at 24 months. Results: Over the 24-month follow-up, 18 (7%) patients died and 43 (15%) of 286 lesions were responsible for MALE (42 TLRs and 1 major amputation). Primary patency was estimated at 82.5% (95% CI 78.1% to 86.9%) at 12 months and 73.2% (95% CI 67.9% to 78.5%) at 24 months. Multivariable analysis revealed that longer lesion length (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.97, p<0.01) was an independent predictor of declining patency, while cilostazol use (OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.10 to 10.78, p=0.03) and increasing distal reference external elastic membrane (EEM) area (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.37, p=0.03) were associated with midterm stent patency. ROC curve analysis identified a distal reference EEM area of 29.0 mm2 as the optimal cut-point for prediction of 24-month stent patency (area under the ROC curve 0.764). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 24-month primary patency were 83.7% (95% CI 78.3% to 89.2%) in lesions with a distal EEM area >29.0 mm2 vs 53.1% (95% CI 42.9% to 63.3%) in those with a distal EEM area ≤29.0 mm2 (p<0.001). Conclusion: In FP lesions with a larger distal vessel area estimated with IVUS, stent implantation can be considered as a reasonable treatment option, with the likelihood of acceptable midterm results.

Impact of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on long-term outcome in patients with lower extremity artery disease.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between long-term outcome in patients with lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of LV diastolic dysfunction on the long-term outcome in patients with LEAD. METHODS: Two hundred LEAD patients (male 66 %, mean age 76±9 years) with preserved LV systolic function assessed by echocardiography (ejection fraction ≥50 %) were enrolled from a single center database between January 2013 and May 2015. We divided the patients into two groups on the basis of LV diastolic dysfunction, which was diagnosed based on the American Society of Echocardiography/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines. The 3-year cumulative incidence of the primary endpoint was compared between LEAD patients with LV diastolic dysfunction and those without. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: death, hospitalization for heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine whether LV diastolic dysfunction was independently associated with the MACCE. RESULTS: LV diastolic dysfunction was identified in 31 % of LEAD patients. The mean observation period was 32±21 months. The 3-year cumulative incidence of MACCE occurred more frequently in patients with LV diastolic dysfunction than those without (35 % vs 23 %, p=0.01). In multivariate analysis, LV diastolic dysfunction (HR=1.96, 95 % CI 1.09-3.55, p=0.03) and critical limb ischemia (HR=2.52, 95 % CI 1.24-5.10, p=0.01) were an independent predictor for MACCE. CONCLUSION: LV diastolic dysfunction increased the risk for MACCE in patients with LEAD.

Pseudoaneurysm and subsequent venous thromboembolism after subintimal angioplasty for chronic total occlusion in the superficial femoral artery.

Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been accepted as a minimally invasive treatment for peripheral artery disease, and its applicability has been widened with the development of techniques and devices. A long, totally occluded lesion in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) is one of the most challenging lesions for EVT due to technical difficulties in wire-crossing. Recently, intentional subintimal recanalization is often considered as an alternative option for long SFA occlusions. Previous studies have shown that subintimal approach achieved superior technical success rate and similar patency rate, compared to conventional intraluminal approach. However, there is limited information about complications of the treatment with subintimal approach. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) due to direct compression by pseudoaneurysm in the SFA, which subsequently develops pulmonary embolism (PE), is considered as a rare complication of subintimal angioplasty for the occlusive SFA lesion. We herein present a case of a patient who developed pseudoaneurysm formation in the SFA after EVT. Although initial EVT was performed successfully with subintimal approach, DVT and PE were caused by the SFA pseudoaneurysm at sub-acute phase following the initial procedure. The pseudoaneurysm was treated with implantation of a covered stent sealing the entry point, disappearing with no endoleak. .

Peak systolic velocity ratio derived from quantitative vessel analysis for restenosis after femoropopliteal intervention: a multidisciplinary review from Endovascular Asia.

With technological improvements in the endovascular armamentarium, there have been tremendous advances in catheter-based femoropopliteal artery intervention during the last decade. However, standardization of the methodology for assessing outcomes has been underappreciated, and unvalidated peak systolic velocity ratios (PSVRs) of 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 on duplex ultrasonography have been arbitrarily but routinely used for assessing restenosis. Quantitative vessel analysis (QVA) is a widely accepted method to identify restenosis in a broad spectrum of cardiovascular interventions, and PSVR needs to be validated by QVA. This multidisciplinary review is intended to disseminate the importance of QVA and a validated PSVR based on QVA for binary restenosis in contemporary femoropopliteal intervention.

Distribution of pressure gradients along the left anterior descending artery in patients with angiographically normal arteries.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the hypothesis that there is no decline of coronary pressure from the proximal to the distal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of humans and swine. BACKGROUND: In the daily clinical practice, the fractional flow reserve (FFR) in the LAD is frequently lower than that in the other arteries in the presence of a similar degree of stenosis. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with angiographically normal LAD were prospectively enrolled. The coronary pressure ratio (mean distal/proximal coronary pressures at hyperemia) was measured at five different positions: 12, 10, 7, and 5 cm distal from the LAD ostium, and at the ostium of the LAD. The coronary pressure measurement was further investigated in a swine model without atherosclerosis. RESULTS: The coronary pressure ratio during maximum hyperemia gradually decreased in proportion to the distance from the ostium (average: 0.85 ± 0.06 at 12 cm distal to the ostium). This finding was confirmed in swine model. The degree of the coronary pressure decrease during maximum hyperemia was similar in patients with and without evidence of minor plaque on intravascular ultrasound, however it was strongly associated with the amount of myocardium mass in the territory of the LAD. CONCLUSIONS: Intracoronary pressure gradually decreases in proportion to the distance from the ostium in the LAD of humans and swine, regardless of the presence of minor atherosclerotic plaques. The degradation degree of the coronary pressure ratio during maximum hyperemia is enlarged in the presence of larger amount of myocardium mass in the territory of the LAD.

The impact of peripheral artery disease on left ventricular diastolic function.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is often accompanied by heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is related to HFpEF. The aim of this study was to compare LV diastolic function between patients with or without PAD. METHODS: One thousand one hundred twenty-one patients (male 56%, mean age 68±13 years) with available preserved LV systolic function assessed by echocardiography (ejection fraction ≥50%) were enrolled from a single-center database between January 2013 and May 2015. PAD was defined as ankle brachial index <0.9 or previous history of lower extremity bypass and/or endovascular therapy. Diagnosis of LV diastolic dysfunction was based on the American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines. The prevalence of LV diastolic dysfunction was compared between patients with PAD and those without PAD. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression analyses to assess predictors of LV diastolic dysfunction. RESULTS: Two hundred patients (18%) had PAD. Patients with PAD had higher E/e' (15.3±7.4 vs 11.8±5.5, p<0.01), tricuspid regurgitation velocity (2.37±0.33 vs 2.19±0.28m/s, p<0.01), left atrial volume index (40.6±20.2 vs 32.1±13.6mL/m2, p<0.01), and lower e' (5.68±1.70 vs 6.38±2.07cm/s, p<0.01) than patients without PAD. The prevalence of LV diastolic dysfunction was higher (31% vs 12%, p<0.01) in patients with PAD compared to patients without PAD. Multivariate analysis showed that PAD was an independent predictor of LV diastolic dysfunction (adjusted odds ratio: 1.77, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-2.65, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of LV diastolic dysfunction was higher in patients with PAD than patients without PAD.

Endovascular Therapy with a Covered Stent Graft for Pseudoaneurysm of the Peroneal Artery Complicating High Tibial Osteotomy-A Case Report.

Pseudoaneurysm of below-the-knee arteries after a high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is rare. A 69-year-old woman with history of right HTO a half year ago had performed a left HTO for osteoarthritis. Postoperatively, she had swelling and pain of the left lower leg. Computed tomography and echocardiography revealed the pseudoaneurysm of peroneal artery (PA). After the release of the covered stent graft, the pseudoaneurysm of the PA did not disappear, it was completely excluded in the completion angiogram.

Coronary restenosis of in-stent protruding bump with rapid progression: Optical frequency domain imaging and angioscopic observation.

In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a tough problem after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) despite advances in technology of drug-eluting stents (DES). A 63-year-old man undergoing hemodialysis was diagnosed with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). An emergency coronary angiography (CAG) revealed severe stenosis in the middle left circumflex artery (LCx). After pre-dilatation with non-compliant balloon, primary PCI was successfully performed with DES implantation. Four months after, CAG was performed again and verified ISR of LCx under diagnosis of recurrent NSTE-ACS. Subsequently multimodality intravascular imaging assessment was performed for the ISR lesion. Optical frequency domain imaging showed the eccentric protruding mass with irregular surface with high-backscatter, whereas angioscopy revealed the in-stent bump with yellow color. The ISR lesion was successfully treated by drug-coated balloon angioplasty. However, he suffered recurrent NSTE-ACS five months later. CAG revealed de novo stenotic lesions not only in re-restenosis of LCx but also in proximal left anterior descending artery and ostium of right coronary artery. He was scheduled to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting for three-vessel disease. Multimodality assessment is useful to diagnose the recurrent restenosis lesion with calcified nodule. .

Impact of low tissue backscattering by optical coherence tomography on endothelial function after drug-eluting stent implantation.

This study evaluated the impact of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived low-backscattered tissue on mid-term coronary endothelial function after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Although OCT enables detailed in vivo evaluation of neointimal tissue characterization after DES implantation, its association with physiological vascular healing response is unclear. Thirty-three stable angina pectoris patients underwent OCT examination and endothelial function testing with intracoronary infusion of incremental doses of acetylcholine 8-month after DES implantation in a single lesion of the left anterior descending artery. Neointimal tissue was classified into two patterns based on the predominant OCT light backscatter: high backscatter and low backscatter. Although the presence of uncovered or malapposed stent strut was not associated with the degree of vasoconstriction, the degree of vasoconstriction was significantly greater in the DES with low-backscattered neointima than in the DES without low-backscattered neointima (- 32.1 ± 25.7 vs. - 4.1 ± 20.1%, p = 0.003). Moreover, there was an inverse linear relationship between low backscatter tissue index and degree of vasoconstriction after acetylcholine infusion (r = 0.50 and p = 0.003). The endothelium-dependent vasomotor response after 8-month of DES was impaired in patients with low neointimal tissue backscatter on OCT imaging. OCT assessment of low-backscattered tissue may be used as surrogate markers for impairment of endothelial function after DES.

Atherosclerotic Component of the Yellow Segment After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation on Coronary Angioscopy　- An Ex-Vivo Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary angioscopy (CAS) is used to comprehensively evaluate vascular responses after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. This study sought to evaluate the capability of CAS for evaluating DES strut coverage grade and color grade of the intima compared with histological images in coronary autopsy specimens. Methods and Results: A total of 23 DES extracted from 11 autopsy hearts were imaged by CAS. All stent segments were graded as white or yellow according to the luminal surface color, and thrombus was evaluated according to a previous report. Neointimal coverage over the DES was graded as 0 (stent struts fully visible) to grade 3 (stent struts fully embedded and invisible). Of 76 segments, neointimal coverage was graded as 0 in 35 (46%), 1 in 22 (29%), 2 in 8 (11%), and 3 in 11 (14%). The neointimal thickness increased significantly with increasing neointimal coverage grade on angioscopy. Neointimal color was graded as white in 40 (53%) and yellow in 36 segments (47%). Histological analysis revealed that yellow neointima contained fibroatheroma, foam cells accumulation or superficial calcium deposition. A thrombus was identified in 13 segments. Thrombi adherent around the stent strut were partly intimal erythrocyte accumulation around the strut. CONCLUSIONS: In-stent yellow segment had atherosclerotic components. CAS could evaluate vascular status comprehensively after DES implantation.

Catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of anomalous left coronary artery during percutaneous coronary intervention for acute inferior myocardial infarction.

We report a case of catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of anomalous left coronary artery (LCA) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI). Urgent coronary angiography revealed the culprit lesion of MI was the proximal segment of the right coronary artery (RCA). The anomalous LCA arose from the right sinus of Valsalva the same as the RCA. Catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of RCA was extended to the ostium of anomalous LCA by contrast injection. The patient fell into hemodynamic collapse due to acute occlusion of the anomalous LCA. The patient underwent successful bailout stenting at the ostium of anomalous LCA under percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS). He was weaned from PCPS system five days after PCI and was discharged. This is the first report about bailout procedure for catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of anomalous LCA. .