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Vulnerable Plaque

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Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Despite continuing advances in medical therapies, diagnostic imaging modalities, and other refinements in basic or translational research, atheromatous coronary artery disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Because atherosclerosis is a complex, multifactorial disease, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of morphology and critical pathological processes involved in atheroma formation. This chapter focuses on key histopathological features of vulnerable plaques and their association with predecessor lesions of atherosclerosis progression from early to late stages. It also describes the underlying mechanisms associated with each lesion type.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CVPath Institute, 19 Firstfield Rd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA

    Masataka Nakano MD, Frank D. Kolodgie PhD, Fumiyuki Otsuka MD, Saami K. Yazdani PhD, Elena R. Ladich MD & Renu Virmani MD

Authors
  1. Masataka Nakano MD
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  2. Frank D. Kolodgie PhD
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  3. Fumiyuki Otsuka MD
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  4. Saami K. Yazdani PhD
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  5. Elena R. Ladich MD
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  6. Renu Virmani MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renu Virmani MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Edgcumbe Place 6, St. Paul, 55116, Minnesota, USA

    Zeev Vlodaver

  2. University of Minnesota, Delaware Street S.E. 420, Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Robert F. Wilson

  3. 4-112 Nils Hasselmo Hall, University of Minnesota, Church Street S.E. 312, Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Daniel J. Garry

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Nakano, M., Kolodgie, F.D., Otsuka, F., Yazdani, S.K., Ladich, E.R., Virmani, R. (2012). Vulnerable Plaque. In: Vlodaver, Z., Wilson, R., Garry, D. (eds) Coronary Heart Disease. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1475-9_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1475-9_9

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