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Figure 12 Examining intima boundary sharpness as a marker for lipid. In this figure, the yellow arrows demonstrate the cap-lipid interface that is diffuse and is covered by a highly scattering cap (yellow reflections). The white arrow, which is also over lipid, identifies cap with lower scattering, and the cap-lipid interface is sharply defined. Finally, the black arrow shows the intimal-elastic layer interface (no lipid present) that is diffuse with an intima that is highly scattering. The reason for the diffuse nature of the intimal-elastin border is likely that multiple scattering is obscuring, owing to high scattering within the intima. It is unclear, therefore, whether the lipid interface is diffuse because of the core composition, as previously suggested, or multiple scattering from the cap. Reprinted (modified), with permission, from Circulation 1996;93:1206–121.