Intravascular photoacoustics (IVPA)-a minimally invasive imaging technique with contrast related to optical absorption properties of tissue, can be used to visualize atherosclerotic plaques. However, the amplitude of photoacoustic signals is also related to a temperature dependent, tissue specific parameter-the Grüneisen parameter. Therefore, photoacoustic signals measured at different temperatures may reveal information about tissue composition. In this study, thermal IVPA (tIVPA) imaging was introduced. The imaging studies were performed using an ex vivo atherosclerotic rabbit aorta. Temperature dependent photoacoustic responses from lipid in plaques and lipid in periadventitial tissue were different, thus allowing tIVPA images to delineate the location of lipid-rich plaques. The results indicate that tIVPA imaging has a potential to characterize tissue composition in atherosclerotic vessels.