Category: An-An

An enzyme that helps the body regulate blood pressure. Abbreviated ACE.

A family of peptides that constrict blood vessels. Narrowing the diameter of the blood vessels causes blood pressure to rise.

Also called angiostrongyliasis. Infection with the parasitic nematode (roundworm) Angiostrongylus. The two species that infect humans are A. cantonensis and A. costaricensis. A. cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the most common cause of human eosinophilic meningitis (meningitis with eosinophils in the cerebrospinal fluid). The meningitis is due to the presence of the rat lungworm larvae in the brain and…

Infection with the parasitic nematode (roundworm) Angiostrongylus. The two species that infect humans are A. cantonensis and A. costaricensis. A. cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the most common cause of human eosinophilic meningitis (meningitis with eosinophils in the cerebrospinal fluid). The meningitis is due to the presence of the rat lungworm larvae in the brain and the patient’s local…

A fragment of a protein, plasminogen, that is involved in blood clotting. Angiostatin is normally secreted by tumors, and it appears to halt the process of developing new blood vessels, which is necessary to tumor development.

A form of tissue cancer (sarcoma) that arises in the lining of blood vessels. Angiosarcomas tend to be aggressive, recur locally, and spread widely. Predisposing factors include lymphedema (as from a radical mastectomy), radiotherapy, foreign materials (such as steel and plastic) in the body, and environmental agents (such as arsenic solutions used to spray grapevines and vinyl chloride in the plastic…

Procedure with a balloon-tipped catheter to enlarge a narrowing in a coronary artery. Also called Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA).

Disease of the arteries, veins, and capillaries. There are two types of angiopathy: microangiopathy and macroangiopathy. In microangiopathy, the walls of small blood vessels become so thick and weak that they bleed, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood. For example, diabetics may develop microangiopathy with thickening of capillaries in many areas, including the…

A genetic form of angioedema. (Angioedema is also referred to as Quinke’s disease.) Persons with it are born lacking an inhibitor protein (called C1 esterase inhibitor) that normally prevents activation of a cascade of proteins leading to the swelling of angioedema. Patients can develop recurrent attacks of swollen tissues, pain in the abdomen, and swelling of the voice box…

A slow-growing tumor of stromal cells which occurs primarily in the genital and pelvic regions. This tumor is much more common in women. It can range from relatively small tumors to football-size masses in the pelvis. The histologic appearance of the tumor under the microscope is rather distinctive. Treatment consists of surgical excision (removal). Unfortunately, there is…