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Figure 6 A 65-year-old man suffered traumatic injury to the head resulting in death. This patient had received two stents in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), a proximal Cypher and a distal Bx Velocity 15 months before death, which were found to be patent at autopsy. A (Cypher) and D (Bx Velocity) are radiographs of the stented LAD segment. All sections shown have been stained with Movat pentachrome. (B) Histologic section of the Cypher stented artery showing minimal coverage of the struts by fibrin. (C) High-power magnification showing peristrut fibrin with rare endothelial cells but no luminal thrombus, whereas inflammation and smooth muscle cells are only rarely observed. (E) Section of the Bx Velocity stent. There is abundant neointimal tissue consisting of smooth muscle cells in a proteoglycan collagen matrix and an overlying endothelium. (F) High-power section of the boxed area in E. Lymphocytes are present around the stent strut with minimal fibrin underneath the strut. The luminal surface of the stent is covered by smooth muscle cells in a proteoglycan/collagen rich matrix.