Correlation of coronary arterial remodeling determined by intravascular ultrasound with angiographic diameter reduction of 20% to 60%

Negative remodeling is commonly observed in stenotic coronary lesions. It is unknown whether negative remodeling is an early or late event. This study was designed to elucidate when negative remodeling occurs in the development of coronary stenosis. Remodeling was assessed by preintervention intravascular ultrasound in 104 native coronary lesions with intermediate stenosis (20% to 60% of diameter stenosis measured by quantitative coronary angiography). Positive remodeling was defined as lesion external elastic membrane (EEM) cross-sectional area (CSA) greater than the proximal reference, intermediate remodeling as lesion EEM CSA between those of the proximal and distal references, and negative remodeling as lesion EEM CSA less than the distal reference. Positive, intermediate, and negative remodeling were observed in 18%, 32%, and 50%, respectively, of lesions with intermediate stenosis. Lesions with negative and intermediate remodeling had more hard plaque compared with those with positive remodeling (79% vs 70% vs 42%, p = 0.02). Calcium was more frequent in lesions with negative and intermediate remodeling than in those with positive remodeling (52% vs 55% vs 16%, p = 0.01). Lesions with negative remodeling had smaller EEM CSA (11.5 ± 5.2 vs. 13.7 ± 3.4 vs 14.5 ± 5.6 mm2, p = 0.03) and less plaque (7.9 ± 4.6 vs 10.8 ± 3.4 vs 10.8 ± 4.9 mm2, p = 0.004) compared with positive and intermediate remodeling lesions, although lumen CSA (3.7 ± 1.7 vs 2.8 ± 0.8 vs 3.6 ± 1.3 mm2, p = 0.1) and area stenosis (57 ± 15% vs 59 ± 14% vs 56 ± 10%, p = 0.7) were similar. Negative remodeling is frequently observed in lesions with intermediate stenosis. This suggests that negative remodeling occurs early in lesion formation.