Calcified plaque cross-sectional area in human arteries: Correlation between intravascular ultrasound and undecalcified histology

Background The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the amount of intralesional calcium defected by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) compared. with undecalcified histology in human arteries. This method preserves intralesional calcium and reduces sectioning artifacts; thereby providing an accurate measure of calcium plaque morphology. Methods and Results Ten arterial segments (5 coronary, 5 iliac) were obtained at autopsy. IVUS imaging was performed with,a 4.9F catheter at an automated pullback rate of 1.0 mm/s. The undecalcified arteries were dehydrated in ascending alcohol and polymerized in glycol methylmethacrylate. The arteries were cut into 200-mu m sections with an Isomet low-speed saw and stained with Goldner's trichrome. The lumen cross-sectional area, the calcium plaque cross-sectional area, the calcium plaque depth, length, and angle of arc,of calcified plaque were measured from the IVUS images and histologic sections. In 24 selected cross sections, there were 38 separate calcium plaques. An independent observer correctly identified;34 of 38 calcified plaques for a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 97%. The total mean calcified plaque cross-sectional area measured from histology was 4.6 +/- 4.1 mm(2) compared with 2.8 +/- 2.3 mm(2) by IVUS (P=.002), Plaque depth measured by histology was 1.2 +/- 0.4 mm verses 0.7 +/- 0.2 mm by IVUS (P =.001). The length of calcium plaques measured by histology was 3.6 +/- 1.78 mm versus 3.6 +/-: 1.5 mm for IVUS (r = 0.79). Conclusions IVUS accurately depicts circumferential calcified lesions with high sensitivity (89%) and specificity (97%). However, IVUS underestimates the total calcified plaque cross-sectional area by 39%. This is mainly because of the inability of the ultrasound to penetrate intralesional calcium, which leads to an underestimation of the depth of calcium by 45%.