Fig. 1

Representative cross-sectional optical coherence tomography images. A Thin-cap fibroatheroma was defined as a lipid-rich plaque (lipid identified as signal poor and attenuating) of more than two quadrants of vessel lumen with a fibrous cap (identified as signal rich, or brightly reflecting, with low attenuation) thickness measuring 65 um or less. (arrow). B Lipid plaque (arrow) most often appears as diffusely bordered, signal-poor regions with overlying signal-rich bands. C Calcification identified by the presence of a well-delineated, low-backscattering heterogeneous region (asterisk). D Plaque rupture identified by disruption of the fibrous cap and cavity formation (asterisk). E Plaque erosion identified by the presence of attached thrombus (asterisk) overlying an intact plaque. F Microvessels defined as tubule luminal structures that do not generate a signal, with no connection to the vessel lumen (arrow). G Red thrombus consists mainly of red blood cells; relevant OCT images are characterized as high-backscattering protrusions with signal free shadowing (asterisk). H. Cholesterol crystal (arrow) identified by linear, highly backscattering structures without remarkable backward shadowing