Pathological changes in small cerebral arteries causing occlusion and haemorrhage.
The resistance arteries of the brain contain relatively small amounts of muscle and elastic tissue. As a result of chronic hypertension, the small arteries develop microaneurysms at points of least resistance. Plasma leaking into the damaged wall leads to lipohyaline change. The end-result is either occlusion of the artery, causing a lacunar infarct, or rupture, causing intracerebral haemorrhage.
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000473:pathology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology