New methodology for assessment of intimal hyperplasia of vascular prostheses

Background: When investigating the degree of formation of intimal hyperplasia (IH) quantification of the extent of the lesion is crucial to its assessment and analysis. The aim of the present study was to establish a new methodology (IH index) for estimating the degree of IH associated with vascular prosthesis implantation. Methods: Ten female Merino sheep underwent a standard gelatin sealed Dacron (GSD) patch grafting procedure in the left common carotid artery. The grafts were harvested 4 weeks following implantation and processed for assessment of IH by two methodologies ? mean intimal thickness (MIT) and IH index. The advantages and disadvantages of the two methods for expressing the degree of IH were compared. Results: The IH index is less labour intensive but is as accurate as the MIT method in quantifying the IH lesion, statistical analysis showing high correlation and measurement agreement between the two methods. Conclusion: The IH index is a labour saving standardized methodology for quantification of IH in the current animal model.