Figure 1.

Differences in plaque morphology and composition between male vs. female carotid atherosclerotic plaque specimens and associated factors contributing to the pathologies. (A). A drawing illustrating a typical plaque isolated from men (unstable plaque), which includes a large lipid core, a thin ruptured fibrous cap, abundant inflammatory cells, and thrombus formation. Created with BioRender.com. (B) Representative photomicrograph of haematoxylin and eosin-stained carotid plaque obtained from a symptomatic man who underwent a carotid endarterectomy at the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada. The plaque exhibits unstable features; a large lipid core, intraplaque haemorrhage, and a thin fibrous cap. Image photographed at magnification ×20. (C) A drawing illustrating a typical plaque isolated from women (stable plaque), which includes a smaller lipid core, and thick intact fibrous cap. Created with BioRender.com. (D) Representative photomicrograph of haematoxylin and eosin-stained carotid plaque obtained from a symptomatic woman who underwent a carotid endarterectomy at the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada. The plaque exhibits stable features; composed mainly of fibrous tissue and calcification and has no apparent lipid core. Image photographed at magnification ×20.