Serial Changes of Aortic Vulnerable Plaques Observed via Non-Obstructive General Angioscopy

Stabilization of aortic vulnerable plaques has not been fully elucidated. Non-obstructive general angioscopy (NOGA) is a novel method for the detailed evaluation of atheromatous plaques in the aortic intimal wall. A 57-year-old man presenting with acute myocardial infarction underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). NOGA was performed for the evaluation of aortic atherosclerosis, and vulnerable puff-chandelier plaques in the aortic arch were identified. After a strictly controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering therapy with a strong statin for 8 months after the primary PCI, NOGA revealed stabilized aortic plaques in the same lesions. Therefore, NOGA may be helpful in evaluating the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on aortic plaque stabilization.