Pathology of Hypertension Flashcards
Hypertension – morphology
- Large/medium arteries:
- Small arteries/arterioles:
-
Large/medium arteries:
- Accelerated atherogenesis
- Degenerative changes in vascular walls
- Increased risk of aortic dissection & cerebrovascular hemorrhage
-
Small arteries/arterioles:
- Hyaline arteriolosclerosis
- Hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis
Which age group is hyaline arteriolosclerosis usually seen in?
Elderly patients
What is the morphology of hyaline arteriolosclerosis?
- Similar change in diabetics (microangiopathy)
-
Homogeneous pink, thickening of vessels with narrowing of lumen
- Leakage of plasma across endothelium due to HTN
- Excess matrix production by the smooth muscle cells occurs secondarily
What does hyaline arteriolosclerosis typically characterize?
“Benign” nephrosclerosis
What does hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis typically characterize?
Characteristic of malignant hypertension
What is the morphology of hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis?
-
Onion-skinning
- concentric laminated walls with luminal narrowing
- Due to reduplicated basement membrane and smooth muscle cells
Malignant hypertension – morphology:
Necrotizing arteriolitis:
- term used when these changes are associated with fibrinoid necrosis
What sides of the heart does systemic and pulmonary hypertensive heart disease affect?
- Systemic hypertensive heart disease ⇒ left sided
- Pulmonary hypertensive heart disease ⇒ right sided
What type of hypertrophy is typically seen in systemic hypertensive heart disease?
- Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in the absence of other cardiovascular pathology
- History or pathologic evidence of hypertension >140/90 mm Hg
- 25% of US population
Systemic Hypertensive Heart Disease: morphology
-
Cardiomegaly:
- Concentric hypertrophy without dilatation
- >1.5 cm wall thickness
- 500 – 600 g
- Thickness of left ventricular wall impairs diastolic filling and causes left atrial enlargement
-
Myocyte hypertrophy:
- Increased myocyte size & nuclear enlargement
What are the possible clinical outcomes for systemic hypertensive heart disease?
- Normal longevity
- Progressive ischemic heart disease
- HTN potentiates ischemic heart disease
- Progressive renal damage or stroke
- Progressive heart failure
- Sudden cardiac death
What causes Cerebral Damage in systemic hypertensive heart disease?
- Cerebral vessels affected by arteriolosclerosis are weakened and more likely to rupture, causing intracerebral hemorrhage
- Lacunar infarcts
-
Hypertensive encephalopathy
- Headaches, confusion, vomiting, convulsions
- Increased CSF pressure
How can Renal Damage differ in systemic hypertensive heart disease?
-
Benign hypertension
- Kidneys usually atrophic; granular, pitted surfaces
- Hyaline arteriolosclerosis of vessels results in ischemia and atrophy
- Glomeruli may become sclerosed
-
Malignant hypertension
- Pinpoint petechial hemorrhages on surface
- Fibrinoid necrosis of arterioles
- Hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis and microthrombi lead to global ischemia
How does pulmonary hypertension affect the ventricles?
Cor pumonale:
- right ventricular hypertrophy and/or dilatation
- failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension
Causes and morphology of acute vs. chronic pulmonary hypertension:
-
Acute: massive pulmonary embolism
- Dilatation of right ventricle without hypertrophy
-
Chronic: primary pulmonary hypertension or secondary pulmonary hypertension due to chronic lung diseases
- Right ventricular hypertrophy, up to 1 cm in thickness, secondary to pressure overload
- Obstruction of pulmonary arteries/arterioles/septal capillaries