Blood Vessels Day 2 Flashcards
Describe the six step pathogenesis of atherosclerosis
- Chronic endothelial injury (dysfunction)
- Accumulation of lipoproteins (mainly LDL) with subsequent oxidation
- Adhesion of monocytes with migration into the intima (now macrophages)
- Adhesion and activation of platelets
- Migration of smooth muscle cells becoming neointimal smooth muscle cells (proliferate and deposit extracellular matrix/collagen)
- Accumulation of lipids in macrophages (foam cells), smooth muscle cells and extracellular spaces
What is an aneurysm?
•Localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel or the wall of the heart
The most important causes of aortic aneurysms are:
Atherosclerosis with associated inflammation (abdominal aorta)
- macrophage metalloproteinases and inflammation induced smooth muscle apoptosis weaken vessel wall
Hypertension via ischemic medial cystic degeneration (thoracic aorta)
How can mycoses cause aneurysms?
•Mycotic aneurysms (infections)
- from embolization of a septic embolus (infective endocarditis)
- from extension of an adjacent suppurative process
- from circulating organisms infecting the arterial wall
In addition to atherosclerosis, HTN, and mycoses, what are some other causes of aneursysms?
•Marfan syndrome (fibrillin),
Loeys-Dietz syndrome (TGF-β receptors),
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (type III collagen),
scurvy (collagen x-linking),
trauma (traumatic aneurysms or arteriovenous aneurysms),
congenital defects (berry aneurysms),
syphilis and
vasculitides
What is the difference between a true aneurysm and a false aneurysm?
true - bounded by arterial wall component or myocardium
false/pseudoaneurysm - transmural rupture creating hematoma, bound by extravascular CT
What are the 2 appearances of true aneurysms?
- Saccular aneurysm – appears rounded
- Fusiform aneurysm – involves long segment of artery and is not rounded
Where in the body do abdominal aortic aneurysms typically appear? How does this afect the sequelae? Who gets them?
Usually below the renal arteries
Renal complications with involvement of renal arteries
•M>F, smokers and age >50 years
What are the causes of AAA?
- Inflammatory AAA (5-10%) - lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages +/- giant cells (uncertain cause and occur at younger age)
- IgG4 related disease with aortis and periaortitis - infiltrating IgG4+ plasma cells (may affect pancreas, biliary system, and salivary gland with fibrosis)
- Mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysms - atherosclerotic AAAs that have become infected (Salmonella gastroenteritis)
How are thoracic aortic aneurysms similar to AAA?
Thoracic aortic aneurysms also occur with similar complications plus involvement of coronary ostia
What are the clinical consequences of aortic aneurysm?
- Rupture into the peritoneum or retroperitoneal tissues (fatal in > 50%)
- Risk of rupture per year: size <4.0 cm (0%), 4.0-4.9 (1%); 5.0-5.9 (11%); >6.0 (25%) [usually repair >5 cm]
- Obstruction of a vessel leading to ischemic tissue injury
- Embolism from atheroma or mural thrombus
- Impingement on an adjacent structure, such as compression of a ureter or erosion of vertebrae
How do AAAs typicall present?
•Presentation as an abdominal mass (often palpably pulsating) that simulates a tumor
What do aneurysms and tertiary syphilis have in common?
•Obliterative endarteritis
in tertiary stage of syphilis (lues) involves vasa vasorum (arterioles) of the thoracic aorta
What is syphilitic aortitis?
•Syphilitic aortitis
- obliterative endarteritis of vasa → ischemic injury of the media → loss of the medial elastic fibers and muscle cells
- Can lead to aneurysmal dilation that can include the aortic annulus leading to aortic valve incompetence
- Can involve coronary ostia
What is “tree-barking” in regards to the aorta?
histological finding
contraction of fibrous scars with intervening segments of intima
What is an aortic dissection?
Something typically repaired frantically by surgeons while anesthesiologists compare arm tans
Dissection of blood between planes of the media
Blood has entered (dissected) the wall of the vessel and separated the layers. Although this is shown as occurring through a tear in the lumen, dissections can also occur by rupture of the vessels of the vasa vasorum within the media.
What patients is aortic dissection more common in? Does it always occur with aneurysm? What conditions predispose you towards it?
•May or may not occur with an aneurysm
•> 90% occur in men 40-60 with hypertension
•Arteriolosclerosis → smooth muscle cell loss
What are some other conditions - other than arteriosclerosis - that predispose people towards aortic dissection?
- In younger people may be connective tissue disorder (Marfan, Ehlers-Danlos, Vit. C deficiency)
- Can be iatrogenic (arterial cannulation)
- Rarely occurs during or following pregnancy
- Occasionally 2ry to vasa vasorum rupture
How is aortic dissection treated?
Antihypertensive therapy and aortic plication (65-75% survival)
Can aortic dissection be a consequence of small vessel disease?
yes - vasa vasorum abruption into media tunica
What is the clinical presentation of an aortic dissection?
•Sudden onset of excruciating pain, usually involves anterior chest, radiating to the back, and moving downward
What is the most common COD with aortic dissection?
•Most common cause of death is rupture into the body cavities
How many ways can an aorta dissect?
- Retrograde dissection into the aortic root → aortic valvular apparatus dysfunction with aortic insufficiency
- Can dissect into neck, coronary, renal, mesenteric, or iliac arteries, and compression of spinal arteries may cause transverse myelitis
- Occasionally the dissection can rupture back into vessel lumen causing a dual lumen vessel
What can you do to potentially halt aortic dissection?
•Aggressive treatment of HTN may halt dissection
What is the classification scheme for aortic dissections? What is the worst classification?
Type A (proximal) involves the ascending aorta, either as part of a more extensive dissection (DeBakey I) or in isolation (DeBakey II).
Type B (distal or DeBakey III) dissections arise after the take-off of the great vessels.
Type A dissections typically have the most serious complications and greatest associated mortality.
Where along the aorta do aortic dissections arise?
Usually arise within 10 cm of aortic valve
What conditions is aortic dissection rarely comorbid with?
Dissection is unusual in substantial atherosclerosis or other cause of medial scarring such as syphilis
What are the genetics behind Marfan Syndrome?
Loss of function mutation of fibrillin (1 per 5,000)
- 75% of cases are familial (autosomal dominant pattern); rest are sporadic
- Once incorrectly thought to be a dominant negative mutation!!!
- Heterozygotes have clinical symptoms
- > 500 mutations of FBN1 gene (15q21) for fibrillin 1
What is the pathology behind Marfan Syndrome?
Loss of function mutation of fibrillin (1 per 5,000)
Mutant fibrillin 1 prevents the assembly of normal microfibrils
With ↓fibrillin-1 there is ↑TGF-β activity and serum levels
- Fibrillin 1 is involved in forming a complex that binds and inactivates TBF-β
- TGF-β involved in embryonic development, cell growth and apoptosis
- TGF-β ↑ collagen production and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling
- leads to overgrowth of bones and myxomatous changes in mitral valves
- Losartan (angiotensin II, type 1 receptor antagonist) for Rx?
How is Losartan helpful for Marfan’s syndrome?
Losartan lowers BP, which will help control adverse outcome of aortic dissection
- will also reduce TGF-beta problem, whose activity is too high and causes too much growth
What is Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and why is it related to Marfan’s?
Mutations in the TGF-β receptors give rise to a similar syndrome called Loeys-Dietz syndrome (Marfan syndrome, type II)
What are the principal clinical manifestations of Marfan Syndrome?
- Skeleton: Slender with abnormally long legs, arms, and fingers (arachnodactyly); high-arched palate; hyperextensibility of joints; spinal deformities (kyphoscoliosis); pectus excavatum or pigeon-breast
- Eyes: Bilateral dislocation (subluxation/ectopia lentis) of lens from weakness suspensory ligaments (ciliary zonules holding lens are made up exclusively of fibrillin)
- Cardiovascular system: Aneurysmal dilation and aortic dissection; dilation of the aortic valve ring (aortic incompetence); mitral and tricuspid valve floppy valve syndrome giving rise to congestive cardiac failure
- Death from aortic rupture is the most common cause of death
- Can occur at any age
- Cardiac failure also causes deaths