Pathology: Atherosclerosis and Lipid Disorders

Question 1

What inflammation-associated molecule is useful for measuring risk for Atherosclerosis and other conditions such as MI and stroke.

Answer 1

Question 2

This is an image of an Aorta. What is being shown at the arrows?

Answer 2

(A) Aorta with fatty streaks (arrows), mainly near the ostia of branch vessels.

Question 3

Atherosclerotic Plaque

• What are the key features of this?
• How big are they?
• What color are they, and what could be the reason why they have color changes?
• What do some vessels have an increased incidence of having Atherosclerotic Plaques compared to others?

Answer 3

Question 4

What occurs when a rupture, ulceration, or erosion of the surface of atheromatous plaques?

Answer 4

Question 5

Answer 5

A

Question 6

What does this image show?

Answer 6

Question 7

What are the constitutional risk factors for Atherosclerosis?

Answer 7

Question 8

How does this plaque relate to the thinning of the vessel wall? What part of the vessel is most thinned, and how does this relate to the location of the plaque?

Answer 8

Question 9

Answer 9

D

Question 10

Describe the historical characteristics of Atherosclerotic plaques

Answer 10

Question 11

• Give the order of descending severity for atherosclerosis in the following structures
  
  • Popliteal Arteries
  • Vessells of the Circle of Willis
  • Coronary Arteries
  • Abdominal Aorta
  • Internal Carotid Arteries

Answer 11

Question 12

Describe the process in which inflammation contributes to the initiation, progression, and complications of atherosclerotic lesions.

Answer 12

Question 13

Intimal lesions

• How do these lesions weaken the tunica media?
• What is a major/deadly outcome of this weakness?

Answer 13

Ischemic tunica media + ECM changes by inflammation can lead to aneurysm

Question 14

What are the three concentric layers of the walls of large vessels?

Answer 14

Question 15

• What kind of vessels are most affected by Atherosclerosis?
• What are the general symptoms related to Atherosclerosis?
• What are the major pathological outcomes of Atherosclerosis?

Answer 15

Question 16

Why is atherosclerosis-related mortality typically reflective deaths by ischemic heart disease?

Answer 16

Question 17

What are the modifiable risk factors for Atherosclerosis?

Answer 17

Question 18

• Concerning genetics
  
  • What is the most independent risk factor for Atherosclerosis?
  • What are some other genetic RFs?

Answer 18

Question 19

Concerning gender, what group of people seem to be protected against Atherosclerosis?

Answer 19

Question 20

What is shown in this vessel wall?

Answer 20

• A Fatty streak, demonstrating intimal, macrophage-derived foam cells (arrows).

Question 21

What is the difference in vulnerable plaques and stable plaques?

Answer 21

Question 22

Describe the general morphology of an Atherosclerotic plaque, keeping in mind the 3 basic components of Atherosclerotic Plaques.

Answer 22

Question 23

Answer 23

A

Question 24

What happens to atheromas over time?

Answer 24

Question 25

What is the general process that causes the migration of SMCs into the tunica intima?

Answer 25

Question 26

Atherosclerosis

• What is an atheroma?
• What conditions can Atherosclerosis be the outcome of?
• Why is this disease so significant to the world?

Answer 26

Question 27

Describe how age relates to when Atherosclerosis and why MI’s increase in prevalence as PTs get older

Answer 27

Question 28

What does this show?

Answer 28

Plaque rupture with superimposed thrombus

Question 29

What is shown at each of the two arrows?

Answer 29

• Aorta with severe diffuse complicated lesions, including an ulcerated plaque (open arrow), and a lesion with overlying thrombus (closed arrow).

Question 30

Atheromatous plaques

• What is at the core of these plaques, and what are the covered by?
• How does stenosis, thrombosis, and occlusion relate to these plaques?

Answer 30

Question 31

This is Atherosclerotic plaque in a coronary artery. What does each letter stand for?

Answer 31

Question 32

What is the critical function for vascular response to injury?

Answer 32

Question 33

• What are the main cells that contribute to thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and hypertensive vascular lesions?
• What are the main cells that contribute to luminal occlusion?

Answer 33

Question 34

What is shown in this Aorta at the arrow?

Answer 34

Aorta with mild atherosclerosis composed of fibrous plaques, one denoted by the arrow.

Question 35

• Describe how hyperlipidemia relates to Atherosclerosis
  
  • What is the main lipid-carrier associated with increased risk for Atherosclerosis?
  • What does each of those lipid-carrier do?

Answer 35

Question 36

What does this show?

Answer 36

Acute coronary thrombosis superimposed on an atherosclerotic plaque with focal disruption of the fibrous cap, triggering fatal myocardial infarction

Question 37

Describe the multiplicative effects of RFs for Atherosclerosis

Answer 37

Question 38

• The response-to-injury hypothesis views atherosclerosis as a chronic inflammatory response of the arterial wall to endothelial injury. According to this model, atherosclerosis results from what process? (Describe the EC injury causes, the role of lipoproteins, platelets, monocytes, SMCs, and macrophages)

Answer 38

Question 39

What is a fatty streak?

Answer 39

Question 40

What are the “random” risk factors for Atherosclerosis?

Answer 40

Question 41

• What will eventually happen to an expanding atheroma?
• How is the above outcome represented in patient activity?
• Describe how chronic arterial hypoperfusion is related to Atherosclerosis.
• What can Acute Plaque Change (plaque erosion or rupture) trigger?

Answer 41

Question 42

What are the three principal components of Atherosclerotic plaques?

Answer 42