Vascular Flashcards
What is the primary responsibility of vascular pathology?
Responsible for more morbidity and mortality than any other category of human disease
What are the two principal mechanisms underlying vascular disease?
- Narrowing (stenosis) or complete obstruction
- Weakening of the vessel walls
What is the main function of arteries?
Carry blood from the heart to the capillaries and control blood flow and blood pressure
What are the three layers of blood vessel structure?
- Tunica intima (interna)
- Tunica media
- Tunica externa
What type of vessels enable the exchange of materials between blood and interstitial fluid?
Capillaries
What is arteriosclerosis?
Literally means ‘hardening of the arteries’; involves arterial wall thickening and loss of elasticity
What is atherosclerosis?
A chronic inflammatory response of the arterial wall to endothelial injury leading to plaque formation
What are the four general patterns of arteriosclerosis?
- Arteriolosclerosis
- Mönckeberg medial sclerosis
- Fibromuscular intimal hyperplasia
- Atherosclerosis
What is hypertension (HT) defined as in clinical guidelines?
> 140/80 mm Hg
What are the two types of vasculitides based on pathogenic mechanisms?
- Immune-mediated inflammation
- Direct invasion of vascular walls by infectious pathogens
What are the clinical features of Giant Cell Arteritis?
- Facial pain
- Headaches
- Diplopia
- Blindness
What is a common complication of cerebral aneurysms?
Rupture leading to severe headache and potential hemorrhagic stroke
What is the primary treatment for Giant Cell Arteritis?
Steroids
What are the risk factors for developing an aortic aneurysm?
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Atherosclerosis
- Genetic factors
What is the most common site for cerebral aneurysms?
At the forks or branches in arteries, particularly at the base of the brain
What are varicose veins?
Abnormally dilated, tortuous veins produced by prolonged increased intraluminal pressure
What are the primary types of vascular tumors?
- Haemangioma
- Lymphangioma
- Angiosarcoma
What is the main characteristic of Wegener granulomatosis?
Necrotizing vasculitis characterized by granulomas affecting the upper and lower respiratory tract
Fill in the blank: A _______ is a localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel.
Aneurysm
True or False: Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis.
True
What are common symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture?
- Severe, sudden pain in lower back and abdomen
- Nausea and vomiting
- Clammy skin
What diagnostic tests are used for detecting aneurysms?
- Abdominal or chest x-ray
- Ultrasound or echocardiography
- CT Scan
- MRI
- Angiography
What is the primary cause of hypertension in 90% of cases?
Primary hypertension (idiopathic)
What characterizes benign and tumor-like conditions?
Solidly cellular, more proliferative and do not form well-organised vessels
