Intravascular Imaging Evaluated Calcified Nodule China Registry

1. Study Title and Overview Official Title: A Multi-Center, Prospective, Observational Registry for the Evaluation of Coronary Artery Calcified Nodules Using Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) and/or Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in China (CN-IVI Registry) Overview: The CN-IVI Registry is a large-scale, observational study conducted across multiple leading cardiac centers in China. Its primary purpose is to systematically investigate a specific, complex, and high-risk type of coronary plaque known as a Calcified Nodule (CN). By leveraging advanced intracoronary imaging techniques, IVUS and/or OCT, the registry aims to create a robust database to improve the diagnosis, characterization, treatment, and long-term outcomes for patients with this challenging lesion.
2. Background and Rationale: Why Focus on Calcified Nodules? Coronary artery disease (CAD) involves the buildup of plaque inside the heart's arteries. While there are several types of plaque, Calcified Nodules are among the most complex and dangerous. What is a Calcified Nodule? A CN is a specific type of plaque characterized by a sharp, protruding, and often fractured nodule of calcium that erupts through the artery's inner lining (intima). This creates a irregular, bony surface within the blood vessel that is highly thrombogenic (likely to cause blood clots) and is a known cause of sudden acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks). The Clinical Challenge: Treating CNs with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - the procedure to open blocked arteries and place stents - is notoriously difficult. Their hard, irregular nature makes it challenging to fully expand a stent. Incomplete stent expansion, known as "stent underexpansion," is a leading cause of stent failure, including restenosis (re-narrowing) and stent thrombosis (a dangerous blood clot within the stent). The Role of Intravascular Imaging: Angiography, the standard X-ray technique used during PCI, is a "shadow" of the artery's interior and often fails to accurately depict the complexity of a CN. This is where IVUS and OCT become critical. They act like a high-definition camera and ultrasound inside the artery, allowing interventional cardiologists to: Accurately Identify a calcified nodule versus other types of plaque. Characterize its size, shape, and extent of calcium. Plan the Procedure by choosing the best techniques to modify the calcium (e.g., with high-pressure balloons, scoring balloons, or rotational atherectomy). Optimize the Result by ensuring the stent is fully expanded and well-apposed to the vessel wall after implantation. Despite their importance, there is a lack of large-scale, real-world data on the prevalence, optimal management, and outcomes of CNs in the Chinese population. This registry seeks to fill that critical knowledge gap.
3. Primary and Secondary Objectives The CN-IVI Registry is designed to answer several key questions: Primary Objectives: To determine the prevalence and natural distribution of calcified nodules in a large, real-world Chinese cohort of patients undergoing PCI with intravascular imaging guidance. To establish the diagnostic criteria and imaging characteristics of CNs using both IVUS and/or OCT, creating a standardized definition for Chinese patients. Secondary Objectives: To evaluate the immediate procedural success rates of PCI for lesions containing CNs, as assessed by intravascular imaging (e.g., rate of stent underexpansion, acute stent malapposition). To assess the impact of different calcium modification techniques (e.g., non-compliant balloons, scoring/cutting balloons, rotational/orbital atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy) on the final stent result. To investigate the long-term clinical outcomes for patients with CNs, including: Target Lesion Failure (TLF): A composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (need for a repeat procedure). Rates of stent thrombosis.
4. Study Design and Methodology Type: Prospective, multi-center, observational registry. Participants: Adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing coronary angiography and PCI for stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes at participating centers in China, in whom the use of IVUS or OCT is clinically indicated and identifies the presence of a calcified nodule. Data Collection: All clinical, procedural, and imaging data will be collected prospectively in a centralized, secure electronic database. This includes: Patient demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Angiographic data of the target lesion. Raw IVUS and OCT imaging sequences, which will be analyzed in a dedicated core lab by independent experts blinded to patient outcomes to ensure consistency and objectivity. Detailed procedural data, including devices used and complications. Follow-up: Patients will be followed clinically for up to 3 years after the procedure through outpatient visits and telephone interviews to track their long-term health status and any cardiac-related events.
5. What Participation Means For Patients: Participation in this registry does not change your standard medical care. The procedures (angiography, PCI, IVUS/OCT) are all performed based on your clinical need and your doctor's judgment. The registry simply involves allowing researchers to anonymously collect and analyze the data and images from your procedure for the purposes of this study. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. Your involvement will help advance medical knowledge and improve care for future patients with similar conditions. For Families: This research aims to improve the safety and effectiveness of heart procedures for a particularly tricky problem. By supporting your family member's participation, you are contributing to a national effort to establish best practices that could benefit countless others. For Healthcare Providers: This registry will provide invaluable, real-world evidence. It will offer deep insights into the imaging phenotypes of CNs, serve as a benchmark for procedural outcomes, and help generate data-driven guidelines for managing these complex lesions. The core lab analysis will also be an educational resource for the interventional cardiology community.
6. Potential Significance and Impact The findings from the CN-IVI Registry are expected to have a direct impact on clinical practice: Improved Diagnosis: Establish clear, imaging-based criteria for identifying CNs in Chinese patients. Better Treatment Strategies: Provide evidence for which calcium modification techniques are most effective for preparing a nodule for stenting, leading to higher procedural success rates. Enhanced Patient Safety: By optimizing stent implantation, the study aims to reduce long-term complications like stent failure and heart attacks, improving overall patient prognosis. National Guidelines: The data will inform the development of Chinese and international clinical guidelines on the management of heavily calcified coronary lesions.
7. Ethics and Confidentiality

The study will be conducted in full compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Chinese regulatory requirements. The protocol will be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee at each participating center. Written informed consent will be obtained from every patient before their data is included in the registry. All patient data will be de-identified to ensure absolute privacy and confidentiality.

In summary, the CN-IVI Registry represents a major collaborative effort to tackle a complex problem in interventional cardiology. By harnessing the power of intravascular imaging, it seeks to translate detailed visual data into tangible improvements in patient care and outcomes across China.