Atherosclerosis COPY Flashcards
What is an atheroma?
Accumulation of intracellular and extracellular lipid in the intima and media of the large and medium arteries
What is atherosclerosis?
Thickening and hardening of arterial walls due to an atheroma
What is arteriosclerosis?
Thickening and hardening of walls of arteries and arterioles as a result of hypertension/diabetes mellitus
3 stages of atherosclerosis
Fatty streak
Simple plaque
Complicated plaque
Fatty streak
Lipid deposits in intima
Yellow
Raised
The simple plaque
Yellow/white Raised Irregular outline Widely distributed Enlarge and coalesce
Complicated plaque
Thrombosis
Haemorrhage into plaque
Calcification
Aneurysm formation
Common sites for atherosclerosis
Aorta (ABDOMINAL) Coronary arteries Carotid arteries Cerebral arteries Leg arteries
Normal arterial structure
Intima Internal elastic lamina Media (muscular) External elastic lamina Adventitia
What happens early on in atherosclerosis?
Proliferation of smooth muscle cells and foam cells
Extracellular lipid
Later changes in atherosclerosis
Fibrosis
necrosis
cholesterol clefts (holes)
+- inflammatory cells
Later vessel changes atherosclerosis
Internal elastic lamina disrupted
damage to media
ingrowth of BV
Plaque fissuring
Clinical effects of atherosclerosis
Ischaemic heart disease Cerebral Ischaemia Mesenteric ischaemia Peripheral vascular disease Aortic aneurysm
Ischaemic heart disease can lead to…
MI, death, angina pectoris, arrythmias, cardiac failure
Cerebral ischaemia can lead to
Transient ischaemic attack (mini stroke)
Cerebral infarct (stroke)
Multi infarct dementia
Mesenteric ischaemia can lead to…
Ischaemic colitis
Malabsorption
Intestinal infarction
Peripheral vascular disease can lead to…
Intermittent claudication (calf pain on exercise)
Leriche syndrome
Ischaemic rest pain
gangrene
What is leriche syndrome?
Pain in buttocks
Impotence
(from ischaemia of iliac arteries)
Risk factors atherosclerosis
Age Gender Hyperlipidaemia (LDL high) Smoking Hypertension Diabetes mellitus Alcohol Infection Oral contraceptive