Identification of Vulnerable Plaque in a Stented Coronary Segment 17 Years after Implantation Using Optical Coherence Tomography

A patient presented with exertional chest pain two months prior to admission. Coronary angiography revealed a subocclusive stenosis within the boundaries of the stent. Optical coherence tomography showed remarkable intimal growth inside the stent, which demonstrated a heterogeneous appearance including low-intensity areas. These findings were congruent with the morphology of fibroatheroma in the native coronary artery and suggested that new atherosclerotic progression of the intima within the stent had occurred over 17 years following bare metal stent implantation. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the most delayed instances of a bare metal stent restenosis described in the medical literature.