Pathology 2420A Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Atheroma, Coronary Artery Disease, Low-Density Lipoprotein
11 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Atherosclerosis characterized by intimal lesions called atheromas (or atheromatous or atherosclerotic plaques) that impinge on the vascular lumen and can rupture to cause sudden occlusion. Atheromatous plaques are raised lesions composed of soft friable (grumous) lipid cores (mainly cholesterol and cholesterol esters, with necrotic debris) covered by fibrous caps. As they enlarged, these plaques can obstruct vascular lamina and lead to stenosis. They plaques are also prone to rupture which can result in thrombosis and sudden occlusion of the vessel. The thickness of the lesion may be sufficient enough to impedge the perfusion of the underlying media: together, these two factors weaken the media, setting the stage for the formation of aneurysms. Although a salutary effect of estrogen has long been proposed to explain this gender difference, clinical trials have shown no benefit of hormonal therapy for prevention of vascular disease. Crp is an acute-phase reactant synthesized primarily by the liver in response to a variety of inflammatory cytokines.
