In this document, the methods for the quantitative measurement and morphological assessment of optical coherence tomography (OCT)/optical frequency domain imaging images (OFDI) are briefly summarized. The focus is on the clinical application of OCT/OFDI to guide percutaneous coronary interventions.
Background Analysis of pooled clinical data has shown the safety of 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with everolimus-eluting cobalt–chromium stents (Co-Cr EESs). This study evaluated early and mid-term vascular responses to Co-Cr EESs in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods The MECHANISM-Elective trial (NCT02014818) is a multicenter optical coherence tomography (OCT) registry. Enrolled patients were evaluated by OCT immediately after EES implantation (post), were prospectively allocated to either 1 month (n = 50) or 3 months (n = 50) OCT follow-up, and then received a 12 months OCT evaluation. The incidences of intrastent thrombus (IS-Th) and irregular ...
Background Although a prospective randomized control study revealed that 3-month dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) is safe and does not compromise the efficacy of everolimus-eluting stent (EES) in selected patients, detailed vessel healing at early phase after EES implantation has yet to be investigated in Japanese patients. Methods and results A total of 27 lesions in 19 patients treated with EES were serially evaluated by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 3, 6, and 12 months after stent implantation. In addition to standard quantitative OCT parameters, the percentage of stents with peri-strut low-intensity area (PLIA, a region around stent struts homogenously ...
Aims: To evaluate the accuracy of minimal lumen area (MLA) by coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) and its impact on fractional flow reserve (FFRCT). Methods and results: Fifty-seven patients (118 lesions, 72 vessels) who underwent cCTA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were enrolled. OCT and cCTA were co-registered and MLAs were measured with both modalities. FFROCT was calculated using OCT-updated models with cCTA-based lumen geometry replaced by OCT-derived geometry. Lesions were grouped by Agatston score (AS) and minimum lumen diameter (MLD) using the OCT catheter and guide wire size (1.0 mm) as a threshold. For all lesions, the average ...
Background and aims This study examined the impact of CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes on coronary plaque vulnerability, as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and investigated their association with daily glucose fluctuation. Although increased CD14 ++ CD16 + monocyte levels have been reported to increase cardiovascular events, their impact on coronary plaque vulnerability in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear. Methods This prospective observational study included consecutive 50 patients with CAD receiving lipid-lowering therapy and undergoing coronary angiography and OCT. Patients were divided into 3 tertiles according to the CD14 ++ CD16 + monocyte percentages assessed by flow ...
The use of cobalt–chromium everolimus-eluting stents (CoCr-EES) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) reduces the incidence of stent thrombosis compared with bare metal stents, and a substantial difference is apparent in the initial 2 weeks. However, vascular behavior during this early period remains unclear. This was a prospective study (MECHANISM-AMI-2W) to investigate early vascular responses in STEMI patients immediately after CoCr-EES implantation and at 2-week follow-up using frequency domain-optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). The study enrolled 52 patients (age 63.7 ± 11.7 years, male 85.0%), of whom 44 patients were available for complete serial FD-OCT analyses. Both % uncovered ...
Objectives We sought to clarify how intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography affect percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with current-generation drug-eluting stents in a pre-specified substudy of the OPINION (OPtical frequency domain imaging versus INtravascular ultrasound in percutaneous coronary interventiON) trial, a multicenter, prospective, randomized, noninferiority trial comparing optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI)-guided PCI with IVUS-guided PCI. Background The impact of these 2 imaging modalities in guiding PCI remains unknown. Methods Of 829 patients enrolled in the OPINION trial, 106 were included in the present imaging substudy. Their PCI was guided by either IVUS or OFDI, but all patients ...
Background and aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-macrophages and OCT findings after CoCr everolimus-eluting stent placement, in addition to coronary risk factors. Methods A total of 89 lesions in 89 patients were registered in the 1- and 3-month cohort of the multi-centre study. Lesion characteristics and post-procedure OCT images were evaluated immediately and 1 and 3 months after stenting. Patients were divided into low and high macrophage grade groups based on the median macrophage grade. Results Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, HbA1c and blood ...
Aims Optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) is a recently developed, light-based, high-resolution intravascular imaging technique. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a widely used, conventional imaging technique for guiding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We aimed to demonstrate the non-inferiority of OFDI-guided PCI compared with IVUS-guided PCI in terms of clinical outcomes. Methods and results We did a prospective, multicentre, randomized (ratio 1:1), active-controlled, non-inferiority study to compare head-to-head OFDI vs. IVUS in patients undergoing PCI with a second generation drug-eluting stent. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure defined as a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel related myocardial infarction, and ischaemia-driven ...
Background and aims Recent epidemiological studies have showed that excessive intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) can be a residual risk for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) even under medical management, including statins. This study aimed at investigating the association between lipid profile, including serum TFA concentration, and plaque vulnerability using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Level of serum elaidic acid, a major TFA component, was measured using gas chromatography in 161 consecutively enrolled patients with CAD under guideline-directed risk factor management. OCT was performed to evaluate morphological features of angiographic intermediate stenosis (30% < diameter of stenosis <70 ...
Background Previous studies have suggested that peri-procedural myocardial infarction (PMI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with adverse short- and long-term outcomes, and several morphological predictors of PMI have been studied. However, the determinants of PMI under novel anti-platelet therapy are not fully elucidated. Methods and results PRASFIT-Elective is a multicenter, parallel-group study of PCI patients in non-acute settings receiving either prasugrel or clopidogrel in addition to aspirin. Among 742 study patients, 94 (116 lesions) underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) to evaluate the area of intra-stent tissue (IST, which comprises tissue protrusion and thrombus) after stenting in addition to ...
Background Several studies have revealed that glucose fluctuations provoke oxidative stress that leads to endothelial cell dysfunction, progression of coronary atherosclerosis, and plaque vulnerability. However, little is known regarding their effect on neointimal growth after stenting in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to investigate the effects of glucose fluctuations on neointimal growth after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation. Methods This study examined 50 patients who underwent a 9-month follow-up using optical coherence tomography (OCT) after EES implantation. Glucose fluctuation was expressed as the mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), and was determined via continuous glucose monitoring before stenting ...
Background We sought to clarify the impact of final kissing inflation (FKI) after single stenting of bifurcation lesions on vessel healing. Methods From the J-REVERSE registry enrolling 303 bifurcation lesions treated with provisional single stenting using sirolimus- (SES) or everolimus-eluting stent (EES), 65 lesions treated with ( n = 30) and without ( n = 35) FKI underwent 9-month follow-up optical coherence tomography. Average stent eccentricity index (SEI: minimum/maximum stent diameter) and neointimal unevenness score (NUS: maximum/average neointimal thickness of the same cross-section) for the proximal, bifurcation, and distal segments were compared between FKI and non-FKI groups. Results At the proximal segment ...
Background Optical coherence tomography is becoming increasingly widespread as an adjunctive intravascular diagnostic technique in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), because of its ability to visualize coronary structures at high resolution. Several studies have reported that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance in PCI might be helpful to reduce subsequent stent thrombosis, restenosis, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, and cardiac death. The OPtical frequency domain imaging vs. INtravascular ultrasound in percutaneous coronary InterventiON (OPINION) trial is aimed at evaluating the impact of optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) guidance in PCI on clinical outcomes compared with IVUS guidance. Methods and design The OPINION trial is ...
Aims: Although pathological studies have indicated the development of neoatherosclerosis (NA) after stenting, its risk factors and impact on future clinical events remain unclear. We aimed to clarify the possible risk factors for NA development and to evaluate the impact of NA in a large Japanese observational OCT database of patients with coronary heart disease. Methods and results: One hundred and seventy-five consecutive patients (314 lesions) who underwent OCT examination >1 year after bare metal or drug-eluting stent implantation were enrolled. We assessed the presence of NA by follow-up OCT and compared adverse clinical events between NA+ and NA– patients ...
The optimal stenting technique for coronary artery bifurcations is still debated. With additional advances computational simulations can soon be used to compare stent designs or strategies based on verified structural and hemodynamics results in order to identify the optimal solution for each individual’s anatomy. In this study, patient-specific simulations of stent deployment were performed for 2 cases to replicate the complete procedure conducted by interventional cardiologists. Subsequent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses were conducted to quantify hemodynamics quantities linked to restenosis. Patient-specific pre-operative models of coronary bifurcations were reconstructed from CT angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Plaque location ...
Background We aimed to clarify the differences in vessel healing after stenting of bifurcation lesions using sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) or everolimus-eluting stents (EESs). Methods J apanese R egistry Study in Comparison Between Ever olimus-Eluting Stent and S irolimus- E luting Stent for the Bifurcation Lesion (J-REVERSE) is a prospective multicentre registry of 303 bifurcation lesions that were treated with provisional SES or EES with or without final kissing inflation. The first 115 lesions at selected study sites were predefined for inclusion in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) substudy, and 9-month follow-up OCT was conducted in 64 lesions (SES, n = 18 ...
Background This study aimed to assess chronic-phase suppression of neointimal proliferation and arterial healing following paclitaxel-coated (PTX) and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in the superficial femoral artery using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Twenty-five patients with 68 stents underwent an 8-month OCT follow-up. Besides standard OCT variables, neointimal characterization and frequencies of peri-strut low-intensity area (PLIA), macrophage accumulation, and in-stent thrombi were evaluated. Results The mean neointimal thickness was significantly less with PTX stents (544.9 ± 202.2 μm vs. 865.0 ± 230.6 μm, p < 0.0001). The covered and uncovered strut frequencies were significantly smaller and larger ...
Background We aimed to clarify the differences in vessel healing after stenting for bifurcation lesions using sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) or everolimus-eluting stent (EES). Methods J-REVERSE is a prospective multicenter registry of 303 bifurcation lesions that were treated with provisional SES or EES with or without final kissing inflation. The first 115 lesions at selected study sites were predefined for inclusion in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) sub-study and 9-month follow-up OCT was conducted in 64 lesions (SES: n = 18, EES: n = 46). In addition to standard OCT parameters, stent eccentricity index (SEI; minimum divided by the maximum stent diameter), neointimal ...
The early phase arterial reaction after implantation of second-generation drug-eluting stents (2nd DES) and baremetal stents (BMS) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unclear. The MECHANISM pilot study is a multi-center prospective registry that enrolled 24 STEMI patients (from 11 centers) who had undergone implantation of everolimus-eluting ( n = 6), biolimus A9-eluting ( n = 6) or zotarolimus-eluting stents ( n = 6), or BMS ( n = 6). Scheduled optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed 2 weeks after implantation, and images were independently analyzed at a core laboratory in a blinded fashion. Intra-stent thrombus was quantitatively analyzed in terms of the maximal area ...
Background Glucose fluctuation has been recognized as a residual risk apart from dyslipidemia for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to investigate the association between glucose fluctuation and coronary plaque morphology in CAD patients. Methods This prospective study enrolled 72 consecutive CAD patients receiving adequate lipid-lowering therapy. They were divided into 3 tertiles according to the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), which represents glucose fluctuation, measured by continuous glucose monitoring (tertile 1; <49.1, tertile 2; 49.1 ~ 85.3, tertile 3; >85.3). Morphological feature of plaques were evaluated by optical coherence ...
Background Nobori is a biolimus A9-eluting stent (BES) featured with a biodegradable polymer coated on the abluminal side only. We previously reported that favorable vessel healing was achieved at 6-12 months after BES implantation. However, detailed long-term vessel reaction post-BES deployment is unclear. Methods Twenty-two BESs were serially evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 6, 12, and 24 months post-stenting. Average neointimal thickness, uncovered struts and neointimal unevenness score (NUS: each cross section as maximum neointimal thickness in one cross section divided by the average neointimal thickness of the same cross-section) were manually measured. In addition, we evaluated the ...
Background: This study directly compared optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histopathology for the assessment of vascular response to first- and second-generation drug-eluting stents. Methods and Results: Sirolimus-, everolimus-, and biolimus-eluting stents (SES, EES, and BES, respectively) were randomly implanted into the coronary arteries of 12 porcine. OCT was conducted after implantation: at 1, 3, and 6 months; histopathology was assessed at 3 and 6 months. At 1-month OCT, EES had the highest neointimal area (NA) and lowest neointimal unevenness score (NUS). At 6 months, NA and NUS were equivalent among the stent types. ∆NA from 1 to 6 months was ...
AIMS: Adverse plaque characteristics (APCs) by coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) are associated with myocardial ischaemia and future acute coronary syndromes. The overall objective was to determine whether APCs on non-invasive CTA are associated with vulnerable plaque features by invasive optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-eight coronary plaques in 45 patients were evaluated by CTA and OCT. APCs by CTA were: positive remodelling (PR), remodelling index ≥1.10; low attenuation plaque (LAP), any intraplaque voxel <30 Hounsfield units; spotty calcification (SC), intraplaque calcification ≤3 mm; and 'napkin-ring' sign, low intraplaque attenuation surrounded by a higher attenuation rim ...
