atheroma
Sign in to saveAn atheroma, or atheromatous plaque, is an abnormal accumulation of material in the inner layer of an arterial wall.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Atheroma
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- atheromata (plural), atheromas (plural), atheromatous plaque, plaque
- Medical condition (new).image
- Atherosclerosis, aorta, gross pathology PHIL 846 lores.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- An autopsy specimen of severe atherosclerotic plaque forming in the aorta.
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Thrombosis, embolism, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Mechanism
- Stenosis and closure
- Artery enlargement
- Histology
- Diagnosis
- Classification of lesions
- Treatment
- History of research
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
An atheroma, or atheromatous plaque, is an abnormal accumulation of material in the inner layer of an arterial wall.
The material consists of mostly macrophage cells, or debris, containing lipids, calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue. The accumulated material forms a swelling in the artery wall, which may intrude into the lumen of the artery, narrowing it and restricting blood flow. Atheroma is the pathological basis for the disease entity atherosclerosis, a subtype of arteriosclerosis.