Letter by Chung and Kim Regarding Article, “Head-to-Head Comparison of Inflammation and Neovascularization in Human Carotid Plaques: Implications for the Imaging of Vulnerable Plaques”

Abstract

We read with interest the recent published article by Demeure et al1 on the comparison of inflammation and neovascularization in carotid plaques. The authors had reported that inflammation and intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) confirmed by contrast echocardiography, known as 2 features of plaque vulnerability, were not systemically associated in carotid plaque. Furthermore, the presence of IPN was not related with patients’ symptoms, whereas inflammation was associated. In their study, intensity of contrast enhancement was highly correlated with the amount of neovessels confirmed by histology, which means imaging study was well validated. Inflammation and angiogenesis influence …