Pathology of the vulnerable plaque

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Renu VirmaniFrank D Kolodgie

Abstract

The majority of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) present with unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden coronary death. The most common cause of coronary thrombosis is plaque rupture followed by plaque erosion, whereas calcified nodule is infrequent. If advances in coronary disease are to occur, it is important to recognize the precursor lesion of ACS. Of the three types of coronary thrombosis, a precursor lesion for acute rupture has been postulated. The non-thrombosed lesion that most resembles the acute plaque rupture is the thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), which is characterized by a necrotic core with an overlying fibrous cap measuring <65 microm, containing rare smooth muscle cells but numerous macrophages. Thin cap fibroatheromas are most frequently observed in patients dying with acute myocardial infarction and least common in plaque erosion. They are most frequently observed in proximal coronary arteries, followed by mid and distal major coronary arteries. Vessels demonstrating TCFA do not usually show severe narrowing but show positive remodeling. In TCFAs the necrotic core length is approximately 2 to 17 mm (mean 8 mm) and the underlying cross-sectional area narrowing in over 75% of cases is ...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1997·The New England Journal of Medicine·A P BurkeR Virmani

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