Table 2. Characteristics of carotid plaque characteristics in the study population.
| Characteristics | All patients (n=105) | Unimprovement (n=46) | Improvement (n=59) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morphology, median (IQR) | ||||
| Mean lumen area, mm2 | 26.1 (21.6, 32.0) | 26.7 (21.7, 32.3) | 26.0 (21.5, 31.6) | 0.675 |
| Mean wall area, mm2 | 40.7 (32.2, 52.0) | 41.5 (32.8, 54.2) | 40.4 (30.7, 47.1) | 0.568 |
| Mean total vessel area, mm2 | 67.4 (57.8, 79.6) | 68.0 (57.8, 85.1) | 66.7 (57.2, 77.6) | 0.633 |
| Maximum wall thickness, mm | 6.0 (4.9, 7.4) | 6.1 (4.9, 7.2) | 5.9 (4.8, 7.4) | 0.689 |
| Mean normalized wall index, % | 60.6 (54.6, 66.3) | 61.0 (56.5, 66.3) | 59.6 (51.9, 66.4) | 0.354 |
| Stenosis, % | 75.5 (69.7, 83.5) | 74.2 (69.9, 81.4) | 75.7 (69.5, 85.5) | 0.342 |
| Presence of plaque components, n (%) | ||||
| LRNC | 96 (91.4) | 41 (89.1) | 55 (93.2) | 0.695 |
| IPH | 56 (53.3) | 25 (54.3) | 31 (52.5) | 0.854 |
| Calcification | 87 (82.9) | 38 (82.6) | 49 (83.1) | 0.952 |
| Ulcer | 29 (27.6) | 14 (30.4) | 15 (25.4) | 0.569 |
| FCR | 59 (56.2) | 26 (56.5) | 33 (55.9) | 0.952 |
| Volume of plaque components*, median (IQR) | ||||
| LRNC, mm3 | 267.6 (95.8, 541.6) | 274.6 (104.9, 564.4) | 217.1 (87.8, 538.6) | 0.349 |
| IPH, mm3 | 193.1 (45.0, 384.4) | 159.5 (22.3, 408.3) | 210.4 (82.5, 383.7) | 0.387 |
| Calcification, mm3 | 28.1 (11.4, 75.8) | 48.0 (21.0, 91.6) | 16.3 (8.1, 53.1) | 0.005 |
| Ulcer, mm3 | 21.0 (9.6, 55.2) | 26.8 (7.2, 64.7) | 20.6 (14.7, 44.3) | 0.747 |
| Maximum percentage of plaque component area*, median (IQR) | ||||
| LRNC, % | 62.2 (40.6, 73.8) | 60.6 (36.6, 75.4) | 62.5 (41.4, 73.3) | 0.731 |
| IPH, % | 47.2 (19.0, 61.8) | 47.0 (14.6, 60.1) | 50.4 (20.6, 61.9) | 0.644 |
| Calcification, % | 8.0 (4.3, 15.8) | 13.1 (6.0, 19.8) | 6.2 (3.7, 10.8) | 0.004 |
| Ulcer, % | 9.8 (4.1, 18.7) | 13.1 (4.1, 19.9) | 8.9 (3.9, 17.9) | 0.683 |
| Cumulative slice of plaque components*, median (IQR) | ||||
| LRNC | 8.0 (5.0, 10.0) | 8.0 (5.50, 9.50) | 8.0 (4.00, 10.00) | 0.958 |
| IPH | 6.0 (4.0, 8.8) | 6.0 (3.0, 8.5) | 6.0 (4.0, 9.0) | 0.829 |
| Calcification | 4.0 (2.0, 6.0) | 4. 0 (3.0, 7.0) | 3.0 (2.0, 5.0) | 0.019 |
| Ulcer | 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) | 2.50 (1.0, 3.0) | 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) | 0.451 |
*, only patients with the corresponding component present were included in the comparison. LRNC, lipid-rich necrotic core; IQR, interquartile range; IPH, intraplaque hemorrhage; FCR, fibrous cap rupture.