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© Springer Nature Limited 2022, Since optical coherence tomography (OCT) was first performed in humans two decades ago, this imaging modality has been widely adopted in research on coronary atherosclerosis and adopted clinically for the optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention. In the past 10 years, substantial advances have been made in the understanding of in vivo vascular biology using OCT. Identification by OCT of culprit plaque pathology could potentially lead to a major shift in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Detection by OCT of healed coronary plaque has been important in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in plaque destabilization and healing with the rapid progression of atherosclerosis. Accurate detection by OCT of sequelae from percutaneous coronary interventions that might be missed by angiography could improve clinical outcomes. In addition, OCT has become an essential diagnostic modality for myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries. Insight into neoatherosclerosis from OCT could improve our understanding of the mechanisms of very late stent thrombosis. The appropriate use of OCT depends on accurate interpretation and understanding of the clinical significance of OCT findings. In this Review, we summarize the state of the art in cardiac OCT and facilitate the uniform use of this modality in coronary atherosclerosis. Contributions have been made by clinicians and investigators worldwide with extensive experience in OCT, with the aim that this document will serve as a standard reference for future research and clinical application.

Since optical coherence tomography (OCT) was first performed in humans two decades ago, this imaging modality has been widely adopted in research on coronary atherosclerosis and adopted clinically for the optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention. In the past 10 years, substantial advances have been made in the understanding of in vivo vascular biology using OCT. Identification by OCT of culprit plaque pathology could potentially lead to a major shift in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Detection by OCT of healed coronary plaque has been important in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in plaque destabilization and healing with the rapid progression of atherosclerosis. Accurate detection by OCT of sequelae from percutaneous coronary interventions that might be missed by angiography could improve clinical outcomes. In addition, OCT has become an essential diagnostic modality for myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries. Insight into neoatherosclerosis from OCT could improve our understanding of the mechanisms of very late stent thrombosis. The appropriate use of OCT depends on accurate interpretation and understanding of the clinical significance of OCT findings. In this Review, we summarize the state of the art in cardiac OCT and facilitate the uniform use of this modality in coronary atherosclerosis. Contributions have been made by clinicians and investigators worldwide with extensive experience in OCT, with the aim that this document will serve as a standard reference for future research and clinical application.

Bempedoic acid (BA) is a novel first-in-class oral lipid-lowering therapy. BA has been approved by the European Medicinal Agency and Food and Drug Administration and has been commercialised throughout Europe since the end of 2020 as an add-on therapy in patients at high/very-high cardiovascular risk that are not at LDL-C goals with current lipid-lowering treatments. Recently, Italian lipid management experts gathered to discuss several open questions on BA characteristics and BArelated practical clinical issues. The panel permitted collection of its opinions in a ten Q&A format. Aim: The aim of this viewpoint is to discuss and answer several open questions on BA characteristics and BA-related practical clinical issues. Data synthesis: The data includes main phase III studies, subanalysis and meta-analysis on BA. Conclusions: The panel permitted collection of its opinions in a ten Q&A format.

AIMS: Randomised trials have demonstrated improvement in clinical outcomes with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with angiography-guided PCI. The ILUMIEN III trial demonstrated non-inferiority of an optical coherence tomography (OCT)- versus IVUS-guided PCI strategy in achieving similar post-PCI lumen dimensions. ILUMIEN IV is a large-scale, multicentre, randomised trial designed to demonstrate the superiority of OCT- versus angiography-guided stent implantation in patients with high-risk clinical characteristics (diabetes) and/or complex angiographic lesions in achieving larger post-PCI lumen dimensions and improving clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: ILUMIEN IV is a prospective, single-blind clinical investigation that will randomise between 2,490 and 3,656 patients using an adaptive design to OCT-guided versus angiography-guided coronary stent implantation in a 1:1 ratio. The primary endpoints are: (1) post-PCI minimal stent area assessed by OCT in each randomised arm, and (2) target vessel failure, the composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or ischaemia-driven target vessel revascularisation. Clinical follow-up will continue for up to two years. The trial is currently enrolling, and the principal results are expected in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The large-scale ILUMIEN IV randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of OCT-guided versus angiography-guided PCI in improving post-PCI lumen dimensions and clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes and/or with complex coronary lesions. Trial registration: NCT03507777

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.

This Consensus Document is the first of two reports summarizing the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on the clinical use of intracoronary imaging including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The first document appraises the role of intracoronary imaging to guide percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in clinical practice. Current evidence regarding the impact of intracoronary imaging guidance on cardiovascular outcomes is summarized, and patients or lesions most likely to derive clinical benefit from an imaging-guided intervention are identified. The relevance of the use of IVUS or OCT prior to PCI for optimizing stent sizing (stent length and diameter) and planning the procedural strategy is discussed. Regarding post-implantation imaging, the consensus group recommends key parameters that characterize an optimal PCI result and provides cut-offs to guide corrective measures and optimize the stenting result. Moreover, routine performance of intracoronary imaging in patients with stent failure (restenosis or stent thrombosis) is recommended. Finally, strengths and limitations of IVUS and OCT for guiding PCI and assessing stent failures and areas that warrant further research are critically discussed.

Aims: In order to assess the long term safety, clinical performance and the bioabsorption process of the paclitaxel-eluting absorbable magnesium Scaffold (DREAMS) three-year clinical data and multi-modality imaging outcomes are reported. Methods and results: Forty-six subjects were enrolled in the first-in-man BIOSOLVE-I study in two different cohorts with clinical follow-up at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months; angiographic and IVUS follow-up for cohort 1 at 6-month and for cohort 2 at 12-month. A subgroup of patients underwent OCT and vasomotion testing. The primary endpoint is Target Lesion Failure (TLF) at 6-month for cohort 1 and at 12-month for cohort 2. For some patients also 18-month and 24-month imaging data are available. TLF rate at 36-month was 6.8% including 2 TLRs and 1 peri-procedural MI occurring at the 12-month follow-up angiography; no events emerged from 12- to 36-month. No cardiac death or scaffold thrombosis was observed. Vasoconstriction after acetylcholine at 6-month (delta=-10.04%; p=0.0008 versus baseline) followed by vasodilatation after nitroglycerine (delta=8.69%; p

Background The drug-eluting absorbable metal scaffold has demonstrated feasibility, safety, and promising clinical and angiographic outcomes at 12 months in human coronary arteries. This study aimed to evaluate the degradation rate and long-term vascular responses to drug-eluting absorbable metal scaffold. Methods and Results BIOSOLVE-I was a multicenter, single-arm, first-in-man trial assessing the safety and performance of drug-eluting absorbable metal scaffold in 46 patients with coronary artery disease. Patients who underwent serial invasive imaging, such as quantitative coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography, at 6 and 12 months were included in this study. From postimplantation to follow-up, arterial curvature and angulation were significantly increased by the degradation process. The greatest increase was seen from postimplantation to 6 months. The systolic-diastolic changes of the curvature and angulation gradually improved throughout the follow-up period. At the site of implantation, vasoconstriction (-10% mean reduction) was observed during the acetylcholine test at 6 months. The average percent hyperechogenicity of the scaffolded segments showed a continuous decrease over time, with the most pronounced changes within the first 6 months (from 22.17.0% to 15.83.7%; P Conclusions This serial analysis of drug-eluting absorbable metal scaffold confirmed the safety and efficacy of this new device, with vasomotion restoration and continued degradation over time demonstrated by multi-invasive imaging modalities. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01168830.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this document is to make the output of the International Working Group for Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (IWG-IVOCT) Standardization and Validation available to medical and scientific communities, through a peer-reviewed publication, in the interest of improving the diagnosis and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis, including coronary artery disease.BackgroundIntravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) is a catheter-based modality that acquires images at a resolution of ∼10 μm, enabling visualization of blood vessel wall microstructure in vivo at an unprecedented level of detail. IVOCT devices are now commercially available worldwide, there is an active user base, and the interest in using this technology is growing. Incorporation of IVOCT in research and daily clinical practice can be facilitated by the development of uniform terminology and consensus-based standards on use of the technology, interpretation of the images, and reporting of IVOCT results.MethodsThe IWG-IVOCT, comprising more than 260 academic and industry members from Asia, Europe, and the United States, formed in 2008 and convened on the topic of IVOCT standardization through a series of 9 national and international meetings.ResultsKnowledge and recommendations from this group on key areas within the IVOCT field were assembled to generate this consensus document, authored by the Writing Committee, composed of academicians who have participated in meetings and/or writing of the text.ConclusionsThis document may be broadly used as a standard reference regarding the current state of the IVOCT imaging modality, intended for researchers and clinicians who use IVOCT and analyze IVOCT data.

Poster Abstract

ObjectivesThe FINESSE-ANGIO (Facilitated Intervention with Enhanced Reperfusion Speed to Stop Events–Angiographic) study evaluated acute treatment effects on infarct-related artery (IRA) patency and angiographic correlates of coronary microcirculatory function.BackgroundThe FINESSE trial evaluated the effects on clinical outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facilitated with pre–catheterization laboratory administration of abciximab with half-dose reteplase (combination-facilitated group), abciximab alone (abciximab-facilitated group), or with abciximab administered immediately before the procedure (primary PCI).MethodsThe FINESSE-ANGIO substudy compared the effects of the 3 treatment strategies on patency (TIMI [Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction] flow grade 2/3) of the IRA at basal coronary angiography. The secondary efficacy end points were corrected TIMI frame count, percentage of patients achieving TIMI flow grade 3, and the percentage achieving myocardial blush grade 2/3 of the IRA at post-PCI angiography. All angiographies were evaluated at a central core laboratory.ResultsOf the 2,452 FINESSE patients, 637 were included in the FINESSE-ANGIO substudy. Patients in the combination-facilitated group exhibited significantly higher rates of baseline IRA patency compared with the abciximab-facilitated and the primary PCI groups (76.1% vs. 43.7% and 32.7%, respectively; p < 0.0001 for both; p = 0.025 abciximab-facilitated vs. primary PCI). There were no significant differences in the post-PCI corrected TIMI frame count (17.1 ± 15.8, 17.4 ± 17.3, and 15.8 ± 14.1) or the rates of post-PCI TIMI flow grade 3 (79.8%, 77.7%, and 76.6%), myocardial blush grade 2/3 (85.6%, 79.5%, and 86.4%), respectively.ConclusionsPre–catheterization laboratory administration of abciximab alone and especially in combination with half-dose reteplase resulted in higher rates of IRA patency at baseline coronary angiography compared with no pre-treatment. However, post-procedural angiographic and microcirculatory variables were unaffected by facilitation therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between aortic inflammation as assessed by18F–fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18F–FDG-PET) and features of plaque vulnerability as assessed by frequency domain-optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). Methods: We enrolled 30 consecutive non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. All patients underwent three-vessel OCT before intervention and18F–FDG-PET before discharge. Univariable and C-reactive protein (CRP)-adjusted linear regression analyses were performed between features of vulnerability [namely:lipid-rich plaques with and without macrophages and thin cap fibroatheromas (TCFA)] and18F–FDG uptake in both ascending (AA) and descending aorta (DA) [measured either as averaged mean and maximum target-to-blood ratio (TBR) or as active slices (TBRmax ≥ 1.6)]. Results: Mean age was 62 years, and 26 patients were male. On univariable linear regression analysis TBRmeanand TBRmaxin DA was associated with the number of lipid-rich plaques (β = 4.22; 95%CI 0.05–8.39; p = 0.047 and β = 3.72; 95%CI 1.14–6.30; p = 0.006, respectively). TBRmaxin DA was also associated with the number of lipid-rich plaques containing macrophages (β = 2.40; 95%CI 0.07–4.72; p = 0.044). A significant CRP adjusted linear association between the TBRmaxin DA and the number of lipid-rich plaques was observed (CRP-adjusted β = 3.58; 95%CI -0.91-6.25; p = 0.01). TBRmaxin DA showed a trend towards significant CRP-adjusted association with number of lipid-rich plaques with macrophages (CRP-adjusted β = 2.30; 95%CI -0.11-4.71; p = 0.06). We also observed a CRP-adjusted (β = 2.34; 95%CI 0.22–4.47; p = 0.031) linear association between the number of active slices in DA and the number of lipid-rich plaques. No relation was found between FDG uptake in the aorta and the number of TCFAs. Conclusions: In patients with first NSTEACS, 18F–FDG uptake in DA is correlated with the number of OCT detected lipid-rich plaques with or without macrophages. This association may be independent from CRP values.