Characteristics of culprit atheromatous plaques obtained in vivo by intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency analysis: results from the CULPLAC study.

Objectives: We used virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) to investigate the characteristics of culprit lesions in acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Background: Autopsy studies of patients who died of ACS have shown that culprit atheromatous plaques almost always contain a large lipid-necrotic core covered by a ruptured thin fibrous cap. There are no studies of sufficient size that have assessed the in vivo characterization of plaques responsible for ACS.