Clinical impact of OCT-derived suboptimal stent implantation parameters and definitions.

AIMS: Despite growing evidence supporting the clinical utility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), there is no common agreement as to the optimal stent implantation parameters that enhance clinical outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively examined the predictive accuracy of suboptimal stent implantation definitions proposed from the CLI-OPCI II, ILUMIEN-IV OPTIMAL PCI, and FORZA studies for the long-term risk of device-oriented cardiovascular events (DoCE) in the population of large all-comers CLI-OPCI project. A total of 1020 patients undergoing OCT-guided drug-eluting stent implantation in the CLI-OPCI registry with a median follow-up of 809 (quartiles 414-1376) days constituted the study population. According to CLI-OPCI II, ILUMIEN-IV OPTIMAL PCI, and FORZA criteria, the incidence of suboptimal stent implantation was 31.8%, 58.1%, and 57.8%, respectively. By multivariable Cox analysis, suboptimal stent implantation criteria from the CLI-OPCI II [hazard ratio 2.75 (95% confidence interval 1.88-4.02), P < 0.001] and ILUMIEN-IV OPTIMAL PCI [1.79 (1.18-2.71), P = 0.006] studies, but not FORZA trial [1.11 (0.75-1.63), P = 0.597], were predictive of DoCE. At long-term follow-up, stent edge disease with minimum lumen area <4.5 mm2 [8.17 (5.32-12.53), P < 0.001], stent edge dissection [2.38 (1.33-4.27), P = 0.004], and minimum stent area <4.5 mm2 [1.68 (1.13-2.51), P = 0.011] were the main OCT predictors of DoCE. CONCLUSION: The clinical utility of OCT-guided PCI might depend on the metrics adopted to define suboptimal stent implantation. Uncovered disease at the stent border, stent edge dissection, and minimum stent area <4.5 mm2 were the strongest OCT associates of stent failure.

[From regression to stabilization: new insights into the evolution of coronary atherosclerotic plaque]. / Dalla regressione alla stabilizzazione: l'evoluzione della placca aterosclerotica coronarica secondo le nuove evidenze.

Coronary artery atherosclerosis is a constantly evolving disease. Over the years, new drug therapies have been shown to reduce adverse cardiovascular events and improve the survival of patients with coronary artery disease. New intracoronary imaging modalities, including intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, and near-infrared spectroscopy, have been introduced to detect the anatomic changes which follow an effective lipid-lowering therapy in human coronary plaques. Particularly, the use of optical coherence tomography made it possible to evaluate plaque composition and showed how an intensive lipid-lowering therapy can stabilize atherosclerosis by improving vulnerable plaque features. Future non-invasive applications are required for large-scale use of these findings.

Definition of Optimal Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Stent Expansion Criteria: In-Stent Minimum Lumen Area Versus Residual Stent Underexpansion.

BACKGROUND: The mismatch between in-stent minimum lumen area (sMLA) and reference vessel lumen area, defined as stent underexpansion (SU), could be an important determinant of stent failure. We tested the clinical predictive value of absolute sMLA in comparison to relative SU in the context of the CLI-OPCI (Centro Per La Lotta Contro L'Infarto-Optimisation of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) project registry. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed end procedural optical coherence tomography findings in 1211 patients (1422 lesions) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, assessing the prevalence and magnitude of residual SU and exploring correlation with outcome in comparison with sMLA. RESULTS: In our series, both sMLA and SU were related to vessel size and anatomic lesion complexity. When compared with patients without adverse event at follow-up, those experiencing device-oriented cardiovascular events (composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, and stent thrombosis) showed a lower sMLA (5.6±2.1 versus 6.1±2.1 mm2; P=0.011) but a comparable degree of SU (11.6±14.1% versus 11.2±13.3%; P=0.734). The prespecified cutoff value of sMLA <4.5 mm2, documented in 23.8% of cases, was confirmed as independent outcome predictor for device-oriented cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 2.05 [95% CI, 1.5-2.9]) including target lesion revascularization (HR, 2.43 [95% CI, 1.7-3.5]) and stent thrombosis (HR, 3.23 [95% CI, 1.7-6.3]). A residual SU of 10%, 20%, and 30% was observed in 38.0%, 18.2%, and 7.6% of cases, respectively. No grade of residual SU significantly increased the risk of stent failure, unless if an SU >20% was associated with an sMLA <4.5 mm2 (HR, 3.11 [95% CI, 1.7-5.6]). Finally, an association between stent overexpansion (ie, >110%) and device-oriented cardiovascular events was also observed (HR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.1-2.3]). CONCLUSIONS: Final absolute sMLA and not relative SU was associated with an increased risk of stent failure. A variable grade of SU was common, but it resulted in being clinically relevant only when associated with an sMLA <4.5 mm2.

The Role of the Association Between Serum C-Reactive Protein Levels and Coronary Plaque Macrophage Accumulation in Predicting Clinical Events - Results from the CLIMA Registry.

The present investigation aims to study the interaction between systemic and intra-plaque inflammation in predicting cardiac events. We investigated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as well as plaque inflammation with optical coherence tomography (OCT)-detected macrophages in the CLIMA study. 689 patients had admission CRP serum values reported, and high CRP values were defined as ≥ 2 mg/dl. The main study endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and/or target vessel revascularization at 1-year follow-up. At multivariate Cox regression analysis, a large (hazard ratio [HR] 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-4.3; p = 0.013) and superficial (HR 2.78, 95%CI 1.5-5.1; p = 0.001) macrophage arc was predicted of the main composite endpoint in patients with high CRP levels. Patients with large/superficial macrophage accumulation and low CRP levels were not at higher risk of adverse events. The presence of high CRP levels and large/superficial macrophage accumulation at OCT analysis identified patients at higher risk of clinical events.

Relationship betweeen the amount and location of macrophages and clinical outcome: subanalysis of the CLIMA-study.

BACKGROUND: The ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to recognize intraplaque macrophage infiltration is now well acknowledged. This post-hoc analysis of the CLIMA study aimed to address the clinical impact of the circumferential extension of OCT-defined macrophages and their location at one year follow-up. METHODS: The multicentre CLIMA study enrolled 1003 patients undergoing OCT evaluation of the untreated proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Measurements of circumferential extension of macrophages and measurements of the distance from intima-lumen contour to macrophages string were performed at the plaque cross-section judged as containing the greatest amount of macrophages. The main study endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and/or target vessel revascularization (TVR). RESULTS: Patients with large macrophage arc (p = 0.001) and superficial macrophage arc (p < 0.001) showed a higher one-year incidence of the main one-year composite endpoint. Consistently hypertension (p = 0.018), family history of CAD (p = 0.046), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.036), lower ejection fraction (p = 0.009) and chronic kidney disease (p = 0.019) were more frequently found in patients experiencing the main composite endpoint. At multivariate Cox regression analysis, fibrous cap thickness < 75 µm (HR 2.51, 95% 1.46-4.32), presence of large (HR 1.97, 95%CI 1.16-3.35, p = 0.012) and superficial (HR 1.72, 95%CI 1.02-2.90; p = 0.040) macrophage arc remained independent predictors of the main composite endpoint. Large macrophage arc was associated with target LAD related MI. CONCLUSION: The present post-hoc analysis of the CLIMA showed that the circumferential extension of macrophages and their location are related to a composite endpoint of cardiac death, MI and/or TVR.

Clinical outcomes of suboptimal stent deployment as assessed by optical coherence tomography: long-term results of the CLI-OPCI registry.

BACKGROUND: Intraprocedural optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a valuable tool for guidance of percutaneous coronary intervention, but long-term follow-up data are lacking. AIMS: The aim of this study was to address the long-term (7.5 years) clinical impact of quantitative OCT metrics of suboptimal stent implantation. METHODS: This retrospective study includes 391 patients with long-term follow-up (mean 2,737 days; interquartile range 1,301-3,143 days) from the multicentre Centro per la Lotta contro l'Infarto - Optimisation of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CLI-OPCI) registry. OCT-assessed suboptimal stent deployment required the presence of at least one of the following pre-defined OCT findings: in-stent MLA <4.5 mm2, proximal or distal reference lumen narrowing with lumen area <4.5 mm2, significant proximal or distal edge dissection width ≥200 µm. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients (26.1%) with 138 stented lesions (27.7%) experienced a device-oriented cardiovascular event (DOCE). In-stent MLA <4.5 mm2 (38.1% vs 19.8%, p<0.001), in-stent lumen expansion <70% (29.5% vs 20.3%, p=0.032), proximal reference lumen narrowing <4.5 mm2 (6.5% vs 1.4%, p=0.004), and distal reference lumen narrowing <4.5 mm2 (12.9% vs 3.6%, p=0.001) were significantly more common in the DOCE vs non-DOCE group. OCT-assessed suboptimal stent deployment was an independent predictor of long-term DOCE (HR 2.17, p<0.001), together with bare metal stent implantation (HR 1.73, p=0.003) and prior revascularisation (HR 1.53, p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of OCT-assessed suboptimal criteria for stent implantation was related to a worse clinical outcome at very long-term follow-up. This information further supports an OCT-guided strategy of stent deployment.

Role of residual acute stent malapposition in percutaneous coronary interventions.

OBJECTIVES: Assess clinical consequences of acute stent malapposition (ASM) in the context of the multicenter Centro per la Lotta Contro l'Infarto-Optimization of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CLI-OPCI) registry. BACKGROUND: ASM as important determinant of stent thrombosis (ST) risk remains controversial. METHODS: From 2009 to 2013, we retrospectively analyzed postprocedural optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in 864 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, assessing prevalence and magnitude of ASM and exploring correlation with outcome, especially ST. RESULTS: Postprocedural OCT revealed a variable grade of ASM in 72.3% of stents without correlation between maximal strut-vessel distance and longitudinal extension (R = 0.164, P < 0.01). At a median follow up of 302 (IQ 127-567) days, ASM did not affect risk of following major cardiac adverse events (MACE); residual ASM was comparable in terms of thickness (median [quartiles] 0.21[IQ 0.1-0.4] vs. 0.20[IQ 0.0-0.3], P = 0.397) and length (2.0[IQ 0.5-4.1] vs. 2.2[IQ 0.0-5.2], P = 0.640) in patients with versus without MACE. The predictive accuracy for outcome was low (C-statistic 0.52, CI 95% 0.47-0.58, P = 0.394) as well for target lesion revascularization (HR 0.80, CI 95% 0.5-1.4) and ST (HR 0.71, CI 95% 0.3-1.5). Likewise, timing to MACE was not influenced by presence of such an ASM with similar rate of acute-subacute (HR 1.09, CI 95% 0.6-1.9), late (HR 0.91, CI 95% 0.5-1.8), and very late (HR 1.23, CI 95% 0.5-2.9) events. CONCLUSIONS: Limited ASM was a common finding after stent implantation, but was not associated to increased risk of stent failure or ST during mid-term follow-up. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical Impact of Suboptimal Stenting and Residual Intrastent Plaque/Thrombus Protrusion in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: The CLI-OPCI ACS Substudy (Centro per la Lotta Contro L'Infarto-Optimization of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Coronary Syndrome).

BACKGROUND: Clinical consequences of optical coherence tomographic (OCT) high-definition visualization of plaque/stent structures in acute patients remain undefined. In this retrospective substudy, we assessed the prognostic impact of postprocedural culprit lesion OCT findings in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the CLI-OPCI (Centro per la Lotta Contro L'Infarto-Optimization of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) database collecting cases from 5 independent OCT-experienced centers, we retrospectively analyzed postprocedural OCT findings in acute coronary syndrome patients and explored its possible impact (specifically that of residual intrastent plaque/thrombus protrusion) on outcome. From 2009 to 2013, 507 patients (588 lesions) were evaluated. Patients experiencing device-oriented cardiovascular events showed more frequently the features of suboptimal stent implantation defined as the presence of significant residual intrastent plaque/thrombus protrusion (hazard ratio [HR], 2.35; P<0.01), in-stent minimum lumen area (MLA) <4.5 mm2 (HR, 2.72; P<0.01), dissection >200 µm at distal stent edge (HR, 3.84; P<0.01), and reference lumen area <4.5 mm2 at either distal (HR, 6.07; P<0.001) or proximal (HR, 8.50; P<0.001) stent edges. Postprocedural OCT assessment of treated culprit lesion revealed at least one of these parameters in 55.2% of cases, with an associated increased risk of device-oriented cardiovascular events during follow-up (17.9% versus 4.8%; P<0.001). Both the presence of at least one of these parameters (HR, 3.69; P=0.002) and the residual intrastent plaque/thrombus protrusion (HR, 2.83; P=0.008) were confirmed as independent predictors of device-oriented cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective study of acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, a composite of OCT-defined suboptimal stent implantation characteristics at the culprit lesion and residual intrastent plaque/thrombus protrusion was associated with adverse outcome.

Reproducibility of serial optical coherence tomography measurements for lumen area and plaque components in humans (The CLI-VAR [Centro per la Lotta Contro l'Infarto-variability] II study).

Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a promising intracoronary imaging technique to study atherosclerosis. Indeed, its unprecedented spatial resolution allows the assessment of fibrous cap thickness, lipid pool and features of plaque vulnerability. Aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of the in vivo FD-OCT measurements of lumen area and plaque components in serial studies. Twenty-six patients undergoing FD-OCT assessment of intermediate lesion during coronary angiography were included in this study. FD-OCT pullbacks were acquired twice from the same coronary segment at interval of 5 min without additional intervention and analyzed off-line at an independent imaging core laboratory. Lumen diameter (LD), lumen area (LA), fibrous cap (FC) thickness and lipid pool (LP) arc extension measurements were compared in 440 matched frames. Both the per-segment and per-frame analyses showed excellent correlation coefficients for the inter-pullback comparisons for all parameters explored (R > 0.95 and p < 0.001 in all cases). Accordingly, the Bland-Altman estimates of bias showed non-significant differences in the inter-pullback comparisons at all levels. Per-frame analysis showed a slightly variations of LA in 45.8% of cases with changes greater than 2% likely related to different phases of cardiac cycle. Nevertheless, nor FC thickness or circumferential arc of LP were affected by LA changes during serial FD-OCT acquisition. This study showed an excellent reproducibility of lumen and plaque component measurements obtained with FD-OCT in vivo. Thus, this intracoronary imaging technique could be used to assess atherosclerosis progression and describe accurate plaque evolution in repeated serial studies.

Randomized evaluation of intralesion versus intracoronary abciximab and aspiration thrombectomy in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: The COCTAIL II trial.

BACKGROUND: Thrombus burden and distal embolization are predictive of no-reflow during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We sought to compare the efficacy of pharmacological and catheter-based strategies for thrombus in patients with STEMI and high atherothrombotic burden. METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2013, 128 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI at 5 centers were randomly assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design to intracoronary (IC) abciximab bolus (via the guide catheter) versus intralesion (IL) abciximab bolus, each with versus without aspiration thrombectomy (AT). Study end points were residual intrastent atherothrombotic burden, defined as the number of cross-sections with residual tissue area >10% as assessed by optical coherence tomography, and indices of angiographic and myocardial reperfusion. RESULTS: Residual intrastent atherothrombotic burden did not significantly differ with IL versus IC abciximab (median [interquartile range] 6.0 [1-15] vs 6.0 [2-11], P = .806) and with AT versus no aspiration (6.0 [1-13] vs 6.0 [2-12], P = .775). Intralesion abciximab administration was associated with improved angiographic myocardial reperfusion in terms of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow (3 [3-3] vs 3 [2-3], P = .040), corrected TIMI frame count (12 ± 5 vs 17 ± 16, P = .021), and myocardial blush grade (3 [2-3] vs 3 [2-3], P = .035). In particular, IL abciximab was associated with higher occurrence of final TIMI 3 flow (90% vs 73.8%, P = .032) and myocardial blush grade 3 (71.6% vs 52.4%, P = .039). Conversely, AT had no significant effect on indices of angiographic or myocardial reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI and high thrombotic burden, neither IL versus IC abciximab nor AT versus no aspiration reduced postprocedure intrastent atherothrombotic burden in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. However, IL abciximab improved indices of angiographic and myocardial reperfusion compared to IC abciximab, benefits not apparent with AT.

Suboptimal stent deployment is associated with subacute stent thrombosis: optical coherence tomography insights from a multicenter matched study. From the CLI Foundation investigators: the CLI-THRO study.

BACKGROUND: Acute or subacute stent thrombosis (ST) is a well-described complication usually causing acute coronary syndromes and, in the worst case scenario, sudden cardiac death. In this study, we aimed at exploring the potential role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the understanding of the mechanism of ST. METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients, after acute coronary syndromes due to a definite subacute ST, were assessed with OCT and matched 1:2 with 42 patients undergoing OCT for scheduled follow-up. Optical coherence tomography assessment was focused on features indicative of nonoptimal stent deployment: underexpansion, malapposition, edge dissection, and reference lumen narrowing. RESULTS: Optical coherence tomography revealed a minimum stent area sensibly smaller in the ST group (5.6 ± 2.6 vs 6.8 ± 1.7 mm(2); P = .03) with a higher incidence of stent underexpansion when compared with the control group (42.8% vs 16.7%; P = .05). Dissection at stent edges was more commonly detected in ST group (52.4% vs 9.5%; P < .01). No significant differences between the 2 groups were observed for malapposition (52.4% vs 38.1%; P = .651) and reference lumen narrowing (19.0% vs 4.8%; P = .172). At least 1 OCT finding indicative of suboptimal stent deployment was detectable in 95.2% of patients experiencing ST versus 42.9% of the control group (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography assessment in patients experiencing subacute ST revealed nonoptimal stent deployment in almost all cases with higher incidence of stent underexpansion and edge dissection, potentially explaining the cause of this adverse event. The adoption of an OCT-guided percutaneous coronary intervention protocol could have a potential for the prevention of ST in complex cases.

Quantification of manual thrombus removal in patients with acute coronary syndromes: a study exploiting serial frequency domain-optical coherence tomography.

AIMS: Thrombus aspiration is useful in improving myocardial reperfusion in comparison to conventional percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Nonetheless, assessment of thrombus aspiration efficacy is lacking. Aim of this study was to quantify by frequency domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) the amount of thrombus removal in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing manual thrombus aspiration, correlating it with the actual size of the retrieved material. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled. OCT assessment of thrombotic lesions was performed before and after thrombus aspiration and repeated after stent deployment. OCT thrombus assessment was based on an established scoring technique. The aspirated material was analyzed by histology, and its planimetry was correlated with OCT-derived thrombus removal. RESULTS: The percentage of thrombus removal [(prethrombus aspiration minus post-thrombus aspiration)/(prethrombus aspiration × 100)] was 48.9; the delta measurement of the removed thrombus calculated by OCT correlated well with the planimetry-measured aspirated material (r = 0.56, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study showed the following: the thrombus score derived by OCT measurements correlated reasonably well with the planimetry measure of surface area of the actual aspirated material; after thrombus aspiration a large amount of residual thrombus can be appreciated at the target lesion site; and tissue components such as cholesterol debris and inflammatory cells can often be retrieved during thrombus aspiration.

Optical coherence tomography guided in-stent thrombus removal in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

The persistence of thrombus inside stent struts is a frequent event in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and this phenomenon might be associated with an increased risk of stent thrombosis. We sought to quantify by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) the presence of in-stent thrombus after achievement of an optimal angiographic result in patients with ACS undergoing PCI. In addition, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of an OCT-guided strategy of in-stent thrombus removal. Eighty consecutive patients with ACS undergoing PCI were treated with two different strategies equally divided into two groups: angio-guided PCI, and OCT-guided PCI, in which additional OCT-driven in-stent balloon dilatation was adopted to reduce thrombus encroachment of the lumen. Overall in-stent thrombus area was 4.3 % with a maximal thrombus encroachment of 16.7 %. In the OCT-guided group, use of high pressure intra-stent dilatation led to a significant increase in stented area (9.6 ± 2.4 vs. 9.1 ± 2.49 mm(2), p = 0.002) and lumen area (9.2 ± 2.4 vs. 8.7 ± 2.3 mm(2), p < 0.001) and also significantly decreased in-stent thrombus area in absolute (0.35 ± 0.29 vs. 0.42 ± 0.30 mm(2), p = 0.001) and relative terms (3.58 ± 3.25 vs. 4.53 ± 3.01 %, p = 0.001). Values of TIMI flow, frame count and blush grade, as well as clinical outcomes were not detrimentally affected by such additional dilatations. The use of additional OCT-driven in-stent balloon dilatations is feasible, safe and might be effective in the treatment of in-stent thrombus for patients with ACS.

Randomized trial of standard versus ClearWay-infused abciximab and thrombectomy in myocardial infarction: rationale and design of the COCTAIL II study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are at substantial risk of suboptimal procedural results and late adverse events. Angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) studies have identified residual coronary thrombus and microcirculatory injury as potential culprits for these adverse outcomes. We hypothesized that coronary thrombectomy and local infusion of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors by means of a dedicated infusion device can synergistically improve results of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for STEMI, as appraised by OCT. METHODS: A total of 128 patients with STEMI will be randomized, to one of the following: abciximab infusion with the ClearWay coronary catheter (C), standard abciximab infusion (A), thrombectomy followed by abciximab infusion with the ClearWay catheter (T+C), or thrombectomy followed by standard abciximab infusion (T+A). The primary objective is to demonstrate that abciximab infusion with the ClearWay catheter with or without manual thrombus aspiration (groups C or T+C) will result in a significant reduction of intrastent thrombus formations when compared with intravenous or intracoronary abciximab with or without thrombectomy (groups A or T+A). The primary endpoint will be the number of cross-sections with thrombus area more than 10% immediately after stent implantation as assessed with OCT. Additional angiographic, ECG and clinical endpoints will be collected and adjudicated. CONCLUSION: This trial will provide important mechanistic insights on the most appropriate invasive treatment strategy for patients with STEMI and significant thrombus burden, by exploiting its factorial design and reliance on sensitive OCT endpoints.

Association between proximal stent edge positioning on atherosclerotic plaques containing lipid pools and postprocedural myocardial infarction (from the CLI-POOL Study).

Postprocedural myocardial infarction is an ominous complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Despite several patient, lesion, and procedural factors that may affect its occurrence and severity, it is unclear if implanting a stent edge on a coronary lipid pool, as appraised by optical coherence tomography (OCT), adversely affects outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the association between postprocedural myocardial infarction and the implantation of a stent edge on a lipid pool, as assessed by OCT. A database was screened for patients without ongoing myocardial infarctions; who underwent PCI with stenting for single, native, de novo lesions; without periprocedural side-branch occlusion or compromise; who underwent post-PCI OCT; and had postprocedural myocardial infarctions. These subjects were matched 1:1 with patients with similar features but without postprocedural myocardial infarctions. Plaque characterization with OCT was performed using established criteria. Specifically, lipid pools within stent edges were quantified by computing the number of involved quadrants and the degree of lipid arc on cross-sectional images. A total of 30 patients were included (15 with postprocedural myocardial infarctions and 15 controls without infarctions). Whereas no patient or control subject had lipid pools in correspondence to distal stent edges, landing of proximal stent edges on lipid pools was significantly more frequent in patients than in controls (10 [66%] vs 2 [13%], p = 0.009), Moreover, patients with postprocedural myocardial infarctions had more extensive lipid pools at proximal stent edges than those without postprocedural myocardial infarctions. Accordingly, lipid pool arc at proximal stent edge was significantly associated with peak post-PCI creatine kinase-MB/upper limit of normal ratio (Spearman's ρ = 0.49, p = 0.006). In conclusion, incomplete stent coverage of coronary lipid pools appears to be associated with an increased risk for postprocedural myocardial infarction in patients who undergo PCI.

Early vessel healing of the Avantgarde cobalt-chromium coronary stent: the ON-GARDE OCT study.

INTRODUCTION: Uncoverage and malapposition of stent struts at optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been associated with stent thrombosis. Stent uncoverage by OCT is being used as a surrogate to address the propensity of a stent to develop thrombosis. We aimed to appraise early vessel healing in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with the novel Avantgarde stent. METHODS: Patients with STEMI and multivessel disease were enrolled. The stent deployed on the infarct-related artery was imaged by frequency domain-OCT during deferred intervention (4-7 days apart). The primary end-point was the percentage of uncovered struts. Secondary end-points were the percentage of malapposed struts and struts covered with thrombus. RESULTS: Twenty patients (20 lesions) were enrolled, with 18 (18 stents) achieving a complete OCT pull-back and thus entering the final analysis (1497 cross-sections, 11 446 struts). Uncovered struts were 3.9%, whilst 8.0% of struts were malapposed and 2.6% were covered by thrombus. At per-stent analysis, all stents but two had a homogeneous distribution of strut coverage (i.e. % of uncovered struts ≥10). CONCLUSIONS: This study, originally exploiting OCT data early after stenting in STEMI patients, shows that the Avantgarde stent is associated with favourable vessel healing features.

Angiography alone versus angiography plus optical coherence tomography to guide decision-making during percutaneous coronary intervention: the Centro per la Lotta contro l'Infarto-Optimisation of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CLI-OPCI) study.

AIMS: Angiographic guidance for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has substantial limitations. The superior spatial resolution of optical coherence tomography (OCT) could translate into meaningful clinical benefits. We aimed to compare angiographic guidance alone versus angiographic plus OCT guidance for PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients undergoing PCI with angiographic plus OCT guidance (OCT group) were compared with matched patients undergoing PCI with angiographic only guidance (Angio group) within 30 days. The primary endpoint was the one-year rate of cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI). A total of 670 patients were included, 335 in the OCT group and 335 in the Angio group. OCT disclosed adverse features requiring further interventions in 34.7%. Unadjusted analyses showed that the OCT group had a significantly lower one-year risk of cardiac death (1.2% vs. 4.5%, p=0.010), cardiac death or MI (6.6% vs. 13.0%, p=0.006), and the composite of cardiac death, MI, or repeat revascularisation (9.6% vs. 14.8%, p=0.044). Angiographic plus OCT guidance was associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiac death or MI even at extensive multivariable analysis adjusting for baseline and procedural differences between the groups (OR=0.49 [0.25-0.96], p=0.037) and at propensity-score adjusted analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This observational study, the first ever formally to appraise OCT guidance for PCI decision-making, suggests that the use of OCT can improve clinical outcomes of patients undergoing PCI.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of unprotected left main coronary artery disease as culprit lesion in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction due to a culprit lesion in an unprotected left main coronary artery. METHODS: In this retrospective, 2-center, international observational study, 5,261 patients were admitted between February 2005 and December 2008 with acute myocardial infarction and treated with PCI; of these, 1,277 were ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 3,984 non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. We identified 48 patients among this cohort who underwent emergency PCI to an unprotected left main coronary artery culprit lesion. RESULTS: Mean age was 70 ± 12.5 years, and 45% of the patients presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or new left bundle branch block. Cardiogenic shock was present in 45%, and distal left main coronary artery disease was present in 71% of patients. Angiographic procedural success was achieved in 92% of patients. Overall in-hospital mortality was 21%, due in all cases to refractory, multiorgan failure. Twenty-five percent experienced major adverse cardiac events, defined as death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and target vessel revascularization. In patients presenting in cardiogenic shock, in-hospital mortality was 32%. At 1-year follow-up, in-hospital survivors had a mortality rate of 10.5%, whereas 18.4% experienced subsequent major adverse cardiac events. Long-term prognosis was excellent in hospital survivors with a 1-year survival rate of 89.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute myocardial infarction and thrombosis of the unprotected left main coronary artery are a high-risk subgroup with a substantial mortality, particularly if they present in cardiogenic shock. We demonstrate that in these patients, PCI is a feasible treatment option associated with reasonably good outcomes. Long-term prognosis is excellent in hospital survivors with an 89.5% survival rate at 1 year.