arteriosclerosis

Hardening of the arteries; types generally recognized are: atherosclerosis, Mönckeberg a., and arteriolosclerosis. SYN: arterial sclerosis, vascular sclerosis. [arterio- + G. sklerosis, hardness]

- coronary a. degenerative and metabolic changes of the walls of the coronary arteries usually beginning with atheroma of the intima and preceding to involve the media; also, calcified lesions known as Mönckeberg a..

- hyperplastic a. hyperplasia of the intima and internal elastic layer and hypertrophy of the media independent of atheromatous lesions.

- hypertensive a. progressive increase in muscle and elastic tissue of arterial walls, resulting from hypertension; in longstanding hypertension, elastic tissue forms numerous concentric layers in the intima and there is replacement of muscle by collagen fibers and hyaline thickening of the intima of arterioles; such changes can develop with increasing age in the absence of hypertension and may then be referred to as senile a..

- medial a. SYN: Mönckeberg a..

- Mönckeberg a. arterial sclerosis involving the peripheral arteries, especially of the legs of older people, with deposition of calcium in the medial coat (pipestem arteries) but with little or no encroachment on the lumen. SYN: medial a., Mönckeberg calcification, Mönckeberg degeneration, Mönckeberg medial calcification, Mönckeberg sclerosis.

- nodular a. atheromas occurring in the arterial intima as discrete tumors.

- a. obliterans a. producing narrowing and occlusion of the arterial lumen.

- peripheral a. a. in any of the vessels beyond the aorta; most often refers to the lower extremities.

- senile a. a. similar to hypertensive a., but as a result of advanced age rather than hypertension.

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ar·te·rio·scle·ro·sis är-.tir-ē-ō-sklə-'rō-səs n, pl -ro·ses -.sēz a chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with resulting loss of elasticity compare atherosclerosis

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n.

an imprecise term used for any of several conditions affecting the arteries. The term is often used as a synonym for atherosclerosis (see atheroma).

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ar·te·rio·scle·ro·sis (ahr-tēr″e-o-sklə-roґsis) [arterio- + sclerosis] any of a group of diseases characterized by thickening and loss of elasticity of arterial walls; there are three distinct forms: atherosclerosis, Mцnckeberg arteriosclerosis, and arteriolosclerosis. Called also arterial sclerosis and vascular sclerosis. arteriosclerotic adj