Histopathologic and angiographic analysis of coronary artery morphology six months after triple artery angioplasty

Coronary morphology after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has been described in autopsy reports early after a successful or unsuccessful procedure or late after PTCA in patients with restenosis. 1–4 Opportunities for in vivo histologic examination of the chronic healed dilatation site in humans are rare. We describe angiographic and histopathologic correlations from the explanted heart of a patient who had 3-vessel PTCA and underwent cardiac transplantation 6 months later because of refractory congestive heart failure.