ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The relationship between baseline yellow plaque (YP) and vascular response after stent implantation has not been fully investigated. METHODS: This was a sub-analysis of the Collaboration-1 study (multicenter, retrospective, observational study). A total of 88 lesions from 80 patients with chronic coronary syndrome who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and coronary angioscopy (CAS) were serially performed immediately and 11â¯months after stent implantation. YP was defined as the stented segment with yellow or intensive yellow color assessed by CAS. Neoatherosclerosis was defined as a lipid or calcified neointima assessed by OCT. OCT and CAS findings at 11â¯months were compared between lesions with baseline YP (YP group) and lesions without baseline YP (Non-YP group). RESULTS: Baseline YP was detected in 37 lesions (42â¯%). OCT findings at 11â¯months showed that the incidence of neoatherosclerosis was significantly higher in the YP group (11â¯% versus 0â¯%, pâ¯=â¯0.028) and mean neointimal thickness tended to be lower (104⯱â¯43⯵m versus 120⯱â¯48⯵m, pâ¯=â¯0.098). CAS findings at 11â¯months demonstrated that the dominant and minimum neointimal coverage grades were significantly lower (pâ¯=â¯0.049 and Pâ¯=â¯0.026) and maximum yellow color grade was significantly higher (pâ¯<â¯0.001) in the YP group. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline YP affected the incidence of neoatherosclerosis as well as poor neointimal coverage at 11â¯months after stent implantation.