atheroma cardiovascular

Question 1

what is an atheroma

Answer 1

this is the formation of focal elevated lesions in the intima of large and med

Question 2

what are consequences of an atheroma forming in a coronary artery

Answer 2

ischemia and angina due to the myocardial ischaemia

Question 3

what is arteriosclerosis

Answer 3

smooth muscle hypertrophy and duplication of IEL which decreases vessel diameter

Question 4

presentation of arteriosclerosis

Answer 4

Contributes to high frequency of cardiac, cerebral, colonic and renal ischaemia in elderly​

Clinical effects most apparent when CVS further stressed by haemorrhage, major surgery, infection, shock​

Question 5

formation of a fatty streak

Answer 5

found even in young children and comprises of a lipid laden macrophages with no clinical significance and may disappear .

Question 6

early atheromatous plaque

Answer 6

Young adults onwards​

Smooth yellow patches in intima​

Lipid-laden macrophages​

Progress to established plaques​

Question 7

fully developed atheromatous plaque

Answer 7

central lipid core with fibrous tissue cap, covered by arterial endothelium​

​Collagens (produced by smooth muscle cells) in cap provide structural strength ​

​Inflammatory cells (macrophages, T-lymphocytes, mast cells) reside in fibrous cap: recruited from arterial endothelium​

Question 8

fully developed atheroma

Answer 8

Central lipid core rich in cellular lipids/debris derived from macrophages (died in plaque)​

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Soft, highly thrombogenic, often rim of “foamy” macrophages (“foamy” due to uptake of oxidised lipoproteins via specialised membrane bound

Question 9

where is a thrombus likely to form

Answer 9

at an arterial branching point where there is turbulent flow

Question 10

marker of atherosclerosis in angiograms and CT scans

Answer 10

dystrophic calcification

Question 11

complicated atheroma?

Answer 11

plaque rupture and fissuring as well as haemorrhage which is caused by calcification