Atheroma

Atheroma
Other namesatheromata (plural), atheromas (plural), atheromatous plaque, plaque
Atherosclerotic plaque from a carotid endarterectomy specimen. This shows the division of the common into the internal and external carotid arteries.
SpecialtyCardiology Edit this on Wikidata
ComplicationsThrombosis, embolism, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis
CausesHyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia

An atheroma, or atheromatous plaque, is an abnormal accumulation of material in the inner layer of an arterial wall.[1][2]

The material consists of mostly macrophage cells,[3][4] 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.[5]

  1. ^ Lusis, Aldons J. (September 2000). "Atherosclerosis". Nature. 407 (6801): 233–241. doi:10.1038/35025203. PMC 2826222. PMID 11001066.
  2. ^ Francis, Andrew A; Pierce, Grant N (2011). "An integrated approach for the mechanisms responsible for atherosclerotic plaque regression". Experimental & Clinical Cardiology. 16 (3): 77–86. ISSN 1205-6626. PMC 3209544. PMID 22065938.
  3. ^ Hotamisligil, Gökhan S (April 2010). "Endoplasmic reticulum stress and atherosclerosis". Nature Medicine. 16 (4): 396–399. doi:10.1038/nm0410-396. PMC 2897068. PMID 20376052.
  4. ^ Oh, Jisu; Riek, Amy E.; Weng, Sherry; Petty, Marvin; Kim, David; Colonna, Marco; Cella, Marina; Bernal-Mizrachi, Carlos (6 April 2012). "Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Controls M2 Macrophage Differentiation and Foam Cell Formation". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 287 (15): 11629–11641. doi:10.1074/jbc.M111.338673. PMC 3320912. PMID 22356914.
  5. ^ dos Santos, Vanessa Prado; Pozzan, Geanete; Castelli, Valter; Caffaro, Roberto Augusto (2021). "Arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and Monckeberg medial calcific sclerosis: what is the difference?". Jornal Vascular Brasileiro. 20: e20200211. doi:10.1590/1677-5449.200211. ISSN 1677-5449. PMC 8276643. PMID 34290756.