Atheroma Flashcards
Risk factors of atheroma
Cigarette smoking Hypertension Hyperlipidemia Diabetes Age (older) Sex (males) Genetics
The process of Pathogenesis of atheroma
- Primary endothelial injury
- Accumulation of lipids and macrophages
- Migration of smooth muscle cells
- The fibrous cap and layer of endothelial will eventually burst as the mass grows
Causes of primary endothelial injury
Smoking Hypertension Hyperlipidemia Immune factors Toxins Viruses
The progression of atheroslerosis
- fatty streak
- fibrofatty plaque
- complicated plaque (overlying thrombus)
- the progression is associated with a further loss of luminal patency and weakening the arterial wall
Where is the most common part of the blood vessels for plaque to develop?
Where the arteries branch off
Complications of atheroma
Stenosis Thrombosis Aneurysm Dissection Embolism
What is arterial stenosis?
a narrowing of the arterial lumen, reducing vessel elasticity, reducing flow in systole and resulting in tissue ischaemia
What are the clinical effects of cardiac ischemia?
- reduced exercise tolerance
- angina
- unstable angina
- mycardial infarction (ischaemic necrosis)
- cardiac failure
What is an anuerysm?
Abnormal and persistent dilatation of an artery due to a weakness in its wall
What are the different types of anuerysm?
Mycotic atherosclerotic dissecting congenital arteriovenous traumatic syphillitic.
Where is the most common site of a anuerysm?
The abdominal aorta
Complications of anuerysms
Rupture(6cm) Thrombosis Embolism Pressure erosion of the adjacent structures Infection
What is arterial dissection?
Splitting within the media of the artery by flowing blood, the false lumen will be filled with blood within the media, the artery will suddenly collapse - there is a high mortality associated with dissection
Aortic dissection’s associated factors
Atheroma Hypertension Trauma Coarctation Marfan's Pregnancy
Where is the place the atheromatous narrowing of an artery is most likely to produce critical disease?
if it’s the only artery supplying an organ or tissue
if the artery has a small diameter
there is already reduced blood flow - e.g. cardiac failure
