Correlation of clinical history with quantitative histology of lower extremity atheroma biopsies obtained with the Simpson atherectomy catheter

The purpose of this study was to compare the histologic variability of atheromas resected from patients with various risk factors for vascular disease. Twenty-seven plaques obtained using the Simpson atherectomy catheter were studied. The results of this light and electron microscopic study indicate that patients with diabetes mellitus had increased numbers of smooth muscle cells in their plaques (P < 0.05) and a trend toward denser, less fatty connective tissue matrix (P < 0.07) when compared with non-diabetics, and that female diabetics had more smooth muscle cells in their plaques than male diabetics (P < 0.05). The female patients, regardless of risk factors, had more smooth muscle cells in their plaques than male patients (P < 0.004). Patients with poor distal runoff had more neovascularization of plaque (P < 0.001). Tobacco use and age did not have statistically significant correlations with histologic patterns.