VULNERABLE ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES OF CORONARY ARTERIES IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Background. Acute coronary syndrome remains the leading cause of death worldwide. The rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary artery is a common pathogenetic mechanism contributing to the onset of acute coronary syndrome. Therefore, one of the main goals of the practical cardiology is to ensure the development of sensitive early diagnostic methods and set preventive and treatment strategies for acute coronary event. Aim To evaluate the incidence of vulnerable plaques in the non-target coronary arteries in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Methods. 58 patients with stable coronary artery disease were included in a prospective observational cohort study. After the target vessel had been stented, virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) of the proximal and middle segments (6–8 cm) of one non-target artery (i.e. without any significant stenotic lesions on coronary angiography) was performed.

Results. The mean age of patients was 60.4±6.6 years. In addition to the targeted hemodynamically significant lesions subjected to stenting, 56 patients had 58 lesions (96.5%) in the non-target coronary arteries. Of them, 5 lesions (8.6%) were with >70% luminal stenosis (including >70% luminal stenosis + lumen area <4 mm2 in 4 cases), 10 lesions (17.2%) – with minimum lumine area <4 mm2 and without any other signs of vulnerable plaque, 12 lesions (20.7%) – with a large necrotic core and a thin cap (including thin-cap fibroatheroma + >70% luminal stenosis in 2 patients; thin-cap fibroatheroma + lumen area <4 mm2 – 2 cases, thin-cap fibroatheroma + >70% luminal stenosis + lumen area <4 mm2 – 2 cases).

Conclusion. In vivo evaluation of the plaques in the non-target vessels ensures the detection of vulnerable plaques in stable patients. The long-term follow-up of the study group allows assessing the risk of developing adverse cardiovascular events in those patients who have vulnerable coronary plaques.

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