Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging in the Assessment of Atherosclerotic Plaques Rabbit Abdominal Aorta : Comparison with Histological Findings

目得：为探讨兔动脉粥样硬化斑块的回声强度与斑块成分之间的相关性，材料与方法：我们通过插入聚乙烯管刺激高脂血症或血脂正常的兔腹部动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成。在血管中获得两层或三层图像的位置进行血管内超声（30 MHz，4.5 F导管）研究。结果：超声图像显示斑块内强（高回声）或弱（低回声）反射超声束的区域。组织学研究表明，高回声区与致密的纤维细胞外基质与平滑肌细胞增殖密切相关，而低回声区对应的病变显示出明显的泡沫状巨噬细胞或富含蛋白多糖的松散的粘液样细胞外基质与平滑肌细胞proliferation.CONCLUSION：观察到良好的相关性之间的超声图像和组织学特征。这些结果表明，血管内超声成像可以提供有用的信息，评估动脉粥样硬化病变的组织特性。

PURPOSE : To examine the correlation between the echogenicity and the components of atherosclerotic plaques in rabbit.MATERIALS AND METHOD : We have stimulated atherosclerotic plaque formation in the abdominal aortas of hyperlipidemic or normolipidemic rabbits by inserting polyethylene tubing. Intravascular ultrasound (30-MHz, 4.5 F catheter) investigation was performed at locations in the vessel where a two or three-layered images was obtained. The intravascular ultrasound images of the plaques were evaluated and compared with the histological findings.RESULS : Ultrasound images delineated areas showing strongly (hyperechoic) or weakly (hypoechoic) reflecting ultrasound beams in the plaques. Histological studies revealed that the hyperechoic areas were closely associated with a dense fibrous extracellular matrix with proliferation of smooth muscle cells, whereas the hypoechoic areas corresponded to lesions showing a marked accumulation of foamy macrophages or proteoglycan-rich loose myxoid extracellular matrix with smooth muscle cell proliferation.CONCLUSION : A good correlation between ultrasound images and histological features was observed. These results suggest that intravascular ultrasound imaging could provide useful information for assessing the tissue characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions.