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Figure 2 Histologic aspect of culprit lesions in carotid atheroma. (A) Macroscopic aspect of a carotid culprit lesion showing the hemorrhagic nature of the core. (B) Magnetic resonance imaging of a carotid plaque hemorrhage. Intraplaque hemorrhages are characterized by a focal post-contrast enhancement in T1 spin echocardiography, giving a hyperintensity signal. (C) Masson's trichrome staining of a culprit carotid lesion, showing the presence of: 1) neocapillaries within the lesion; and 2) intraplaque hemorrhage in the core. This example highlights the heterogeneity of culprit lesions, involving pathologies at different stages: fibrosis and hemorrhages. (D) Alizarin red staining of a culprit carotid lesion revealing the presence of calcification within the core and at the interface between the core and the media.