Vascular Disease Pathology II

Question 1

What can go wrong with valves?

Answer 1

Stenosis = valve doesn't open properly during contraction = not much blood through it
Incompetence = valve doesn't stop blood coming back during relaxation

Question 2

What causes valve disease?

Answer 2

Rheumatic fever
Calcific aortic valve disease
Age related degeneration
Abnormal valves

Question 3

What is rheumatic fever?

Answer 3

Infec in childhood that damages heart valves

Question 4

What causes rheumatic fever?

Answer 4

Streptococcal pharyngitis

Question 5

How can rheumatic fever impact the heart?

Answer 5

Streptococcal pharyngitis = immune rxn by body = cross rxn with self antigens = endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, polyarthritis

Question 6

Effects of calcific aortic valve disease?

Answer 6

Rigid valve cusp
Stenotic valve
LVH (left ventricular hypertension)
Inadequate coronary artery perfusion

Question 7

Types of prosthetic heart valves?

Answer 7

Biological = human, porcine
Artificial = tilting disc, ball and cage

Question 8

Complications of prosthetic valves?

Answer 8

Haemolysis
Coagulation
Anticoagulation therapy
Mechanical failure
Calcification
Infective endocarditis

Question 9

What is infective endocarditis?

Answer 9

Bacterial infection, can occur on valve damage due to rheumatic fever

Question 10

Sites of infective endocarditis?

Answer 10

Any abnormal heart valve

• All pathologies mentioned so far
• Prosthetic heart valves

Tricuspid valve
- Intravenous drug users

Question 11

Complications of infective endocarditis?

Answer 11

Local

• Valve incompetence
• Myocarditis

Systemic:

• Emboli
• General effects of systemic infection
• Glomerulonephritis

Question 12

Causative organisms of infective endocarditis?

Answer 12

Staphylococcus aureus

Aspergillus