title: [Atherosclerosis: a polidistrectual disease].
abstract: Many are the open issues around the atherosclerotic disease still requiring definite answers. Why do involved arteries some times undergo a wall dilatation process and other times a progressive lumen narrowing? Why does a systemic disease like atherosclerosis "favour" different vascular districts in different patients and/or ages? Why are atherosclerotic lesions proximally or distally located in relation to different vascular beds? This paper reviews the major clinical implications of these issues mainly considering three clinical situations: the cardiological assessment of the patient after a neurological event, the cardiological visit in the patient undergoing a vascular intervention, the search of a renal artery stenosis in the patient undergoing a coronary arteriography.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Cardio-Toraco-Vascolare, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna. claudio.rapezzi@unibo.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rapezzi
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology