Pathology of Cardiovascular diseases Flashcards
What is atherosclerosis the accumulation of
fatty material
fibrous material
calcium
What does the build up of material form
atheroma beneath endothelium
What happens to an artery as an atheroma grows
artery grows and thickens
artery loses elasticity
diameter of lumen decreases
blood pressure increases
What CVD can artherosclerosis cause
peripheral vascular disease
angina
stroke
heart attack
Define a thrombosis
The formation of a clot
What is the active form of prothrombin
thrombin
What does thrombin do
causes fibrinogen to form threads of fibrin
what does fibrin do
clots blood
seals wound
provides a scaffold for the formation of scar tissue
What happens when a thrombus breaks loose?
forms embolus which can clot a blood vessel
What happens if a thrombus reaches a coronary artery
lead to a MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (heart attack)
What happens when blood vessels are blocked
tissues not supplied with blood then they die
What is peripheral vascular disease
narrowing of arteries due to artherosclerosis
Blood flow to legs is reduced
pain
What is deep vein thrombosis
blood clot that forms in deep vein in leg
-can break off and result in a pulmonary embolism causing chest pain, difficulty in breathing and sudden death
What is a pulmonary embolism
blockage of the pulmonary artery