title: [Pathology of arteriosclerosis--an overview].
abstract: Arteriosclerosis is vascular disease characterized by thickening, hardening and remodelling of the arterial wall and classified into following three categories: atherosclerosis, Mönckeberg's medial calcific sclerosis, and arteriolosclerosis. Fibromuscular intimal thickening starts its development in the fetal age of the 6th month and continues to grow with aging. The specific topography of early atherosclerotic lesions is primarily attributed to wall shear stress, one of hemodynamic forces. The lesion will proliferate to form atherosclerosis when complicated by hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and/or other clinical risk factors. The major complications of atherosclerosis, stenosis of the arterial lumen and thrombus formation at ulcerated arterial walls, frequently cause such lethal diseases as ischemia of various pivotal organs or rupture of aneurysms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yamanashi Medical University.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014655:Vascular Resistance