Category: Aq-Ar

Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart, usually due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Abbreviated CAD. A major cause of illness and death, CAD begins when hard cholesterol substances (plaques) are deposited within a coronary artery. The plaques in the coronary arteries can lead to the formation of tiny clots that…

A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the farthest reaches of the body. Since blood in arteries is usually full of oxygen, the hemoglobin in the red blood cells is oxygenated. The resultant form of hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) is what makes arterial blood look bright red. Arteries are part of the efferent wing of the…

Also called giant cell arteritis or cranial arteritis, this is a serious disease characterized by inflammation of the walls of the blood vessels (vasculitis). The vessels affected by inflammation are the arteries (hence the name “arteritis”). The age of affected patients is usually over 50 years of age. Giant cell arteritis can lead to blindness and/or stroke. It is detected by a biopsy…

A chronic inflammatory disease of the aorta and its branch arteries. The cause is unknown. The disease is most common in young women of Asian descent and usually begins between 10 and 30 years of age. Symptoms include painful, cool, or blanched extremities, dizziness, headaches, chest and abdominal pain, and low-grade fever. The blood pressure is often high. The sedimentation rate (sed rate) may be…

A chronic vascular disease, most often involving the carotid artery system, that can lead to blindness and/or stroke, Giant cell arteritis (also called temporal arteritis) is detected by a biopsy of an artery, and is treated with high dose steroids.

A serious disease characterized by inflammation of the walls of the blood vessels (vasculitis). The vessels affected are the arteries (hence the name “arteritis”). The age of affected patients is usually over 50 years of age. Cranial arteritis is also known as temporal arteritis and as giant cell arteritis. It can lead to blindness and/or stroke. The disease is detected by a…

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins connected by one or more fistulas (abnormal communications). The AVM has no capillary bed of its own and the fistulas in the…

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins connected by one or more fistulas (abnormal communications). The AVM has no capillary bed of its own and the fistulas in the…

Retinal disease caused by arteriosclerosis. In this condition, the arterioles (small arteries) in the retina become partially blocked because of thickening of their walls. Using an ophthalmoscope, a doctor can see the thickened arterioles and other indications of diminished blood supply to the retina. (The characteristic features include narrowed tortuous arterioles with a “copper wire” appearance,…

A localized widening (aneurysm) of a vessel that occurs because the vessel wall is weakened by arteriosclerosis. An aneurysm is a localized widening (dilatation) of an artery, vein, or the heart. At the area of an aneurysm, there is typically a bulge and the wall is weakened and may rupture. The word “aneurysm” comes from the Greek…