arteriosclerosis

ARTERIOSCLEROSIS

what is Arteriosclerosis??

- a genetic term used for thickening and loss of elasticity of the arterial wall

what are the classifications?

A) arteriosclerosis - affects small arteries and arterioles

  a) hyaline arteriosclerosis 

         -caused by proteins leaking into the vessel wall

         -produces vascular thickening

         -seen as pink hyaline on microscopy

  b)hyperplastic arteriosclerosis

         - characterized by concentric laminated 'onion skin' thickening of arteriolar wall

        B) atherosclerosis - affects large and medium sized artery 

           - most frequent and clinically important pattern

          - characterized by intimal lesion called fibrous plaques or, atheromas 

          - occurs within the intima of arteries

C) monckeyberg medial calcific sclerosis

          - characterized by calcification of the walls of muscular arteries

          - typically involving internal elastic membrane 

          - usualy effects persons older than 50 years of age

 what is the difference between arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis?

- arteriosclerosis is hardening of the arteries which is a genetic term for thickening and loss of elasticity of arterial wall.On the other hand,atherosclerosis is a clinically important variety and a specific type of arteriosclerosis which is characterized by formation of intimal lesion called atheromas or atherosclerotic plaques.