Pathology Cheat Sheet
Read Vessel Wall and Pump
Vascular and heart failure for NEET-PG: atherosclerosis foam cells, hyaline vs hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis, aneurysm, and left vs right heart failure.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Read Vessel Wall and Pump
Vascular and heart failure for NEET-PG: atherosclerosis foam cells, hyaline vs hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis, aneurysm, and left vs right heart failure.
Atherosclerosis, hypertensive and aneurysmal vascular disease, and the pathology of heart failure.
High-yield lines
- Atherosclerosis begins with endothelial injury and subendothelial accumulation of oxidised LDL taken up by macrophage foam cells.
- The fatty streak of foam cells is the earliest atherosclerotic lesion.
- The mature atheromatous plaque has a lipid core with a fibrous cap, and rupture triggers thrombosis.
- Major risk factors for atherosclerosis are hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and hyperlipidaemia.
- Benign hypertension causes hyaline arteriolosclerosis, while malignant hypertension causes hyperplastic onion-skin arteriolosclerosis with fibrinoid necrosis.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm is usually atherosclerotic and located below the renal arteries.
- Monckeberg medial calcific sclerosis calcifies the media of medium arteries without narrowing the lumen.
- Left heart failure causes pulmonary congestion and heart failure cells in the lungs.
- Right heart failure causes systemic venous congestion with nutmeg liver and dependent oedema.
- Cor pulmonale is right heart failure due to pulmonary disease.
- Heart failure cells are haemosiderin-laden alveolar macrophages seen in left heart failure.
- Berry aneurysms of the circle of Willis can rupture causing subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Mapped competency codes
- PA27.1
- PA27.2
- PA27.3
Continue into the full chapter
This summary maps to PA27-cardiovascular-system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the earliest lesion of atherosclerosis?
The fatty streak, composed of lipid-laden macrophage foam cells in the arterial intima.
How do benign and malignant hypertension affect arterioles?
Benign hypertension causes hyaline arteriolosclerosis, whereas malignant hypertension causes hyperplastic onion-skin arteriolosclerosis with fibrinoid necrosis.
What are the pathological effects of left versus right heart failure?
Left heart failure causes pulmonary congestion with heart failure cells, while right heart failure causes systemic venous congestion with nutmeg liver and peripheral oedema.
What is cor pulmonale?
Right heart failure resulting from chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.
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