Pathology Part 6 Flashcards
What are the symonyms for artheroma?
Atherosclerosis
Hardening of the arteries
Coronary artery disease
Ischaemic heart disses
What is atheroma a derivative of?
Greek for gruel
Describe the aetiology of atheroma
Cigarette smoking Hypertension Hyperlipidaemia Diabetes Age Sex (male) Genetics
What is the underlying pathogenesis of atheroma?
Endothelial injury
What can cause endothelial cell injury?
Cigarettes
Viral, infection
Homocysteine
Where does haemodynamic injury occur?
Sites of turbulent flow
Branching site
What is the pathology of diabetes?
> Increase cholesterol levels
> Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE)
> Abnormal cross linking in vessel walls
> Loss of elasticity – more rigid and increased endothelial injury
> Trap cholesterol - LDL
What genetic changes can alter risk of atheroma?
- cholesterol metabolism
- inflammatory response
- control of BP
Describe the outline of plaque formation
Primary endothelial injury
Accumulation of lipids and macrophages
Migration of smooth muscle cells
Increase in size
What is the role of fat in atheroma?
Macrophages gobble up cholesterol Initially the volume of cholesterol is low and remains with the cell Traps cell LDL is deposited HDL “shuttles” back to the liver
What is the role of smooth muscle in atheroma?
Smooth muscle migrates from the media into the intima
Gets stuck and takes on cholesterol
Produce extracellular matrix – collagen etc,
Change lesion from fatty streak to fibrofatty plaque
Describe the progression of plaque formation?
More cholesterol
More macrophages
More smooth muscle and collagen etc
Eventually too much cholesterol and a pool of extracellular cholesterol forms the centre of the plaque
How can a plaque produce critical disease?
It is the only artery supplying an organ or tissue (i.e. There is no collateral circulation)
The artery diameter is small (e.g coronary artery versus common iliac artery)
Overall blood flow is reduced (i.e. cardiac failure)
What are the complications of atheroma?
Stenosis
Aneurysm
Dissection
Thrombosis and embolism
What is caused by arterial stenosis?
NARROWING OF THE ARTERIAL LUMEN
REDUCED ELASTICITY
REDUCED FLOW IN SYSTOLE
TISSUE ISCHAEMIA
What are the clinical effects of cardiac ischaemia?
REDUCED EXERCISE TOLERANCE
ANGINA
UNSTABLE ANGINA
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
CARDIAC FAILURE
Describe cardiac fibrosis?
LOSS OF CARDIAC MYOCYTES
REPLACEMENT BY FIBROUS TISSUE
LOSS OF CONTRACTILITY
REDUCED ELASTICITY & FILLING
What can arterial stenosis of the carotid arteries cause?
TIA, STROKE & VASCULAR DEMENTIA
What can arterial stenosis of the renal arteries cause?
HYPERTENSION AND RENAL FAILURE