Fig. 3
From: RANKL system in vascular and valve calcification with aging
Scheme of plaque calcification. Natural plaque progression involves lipid-pool expansion coupled with micro-calcifications within lipid pools. Micro-calcifications are also commonly found within an overlying fibrous cap. If these micro-calcifications coalesce into speckles and fragments during therapy or atheroma progression, vessel wall stresses may decrease significantly, contributing to plaque stability