Angiopathy

Disease of the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries). There are two basic types of angiopathy: microangiopathy and macroangiopathy. In microangiopathy, the walls of small blood vessels become so thick and weak that they bleed, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood. For example, diabetics may develop microangiopathy with thickening of capillaries in many areas including the eye. In macroangiopathy, fat and blood clots build up in the large blood vessels, stick to the vessel walls, and block the flow of blood. Three kinds of macroangiopathy are coronary artery disease (in the heart), cerebrovascular disease (in the brain), and peripheral vascular disease (affecting, for example, vessels in the legs).

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Any disease of the blood vessel s or lymphatics. SYN: angiosis. [angio- + G. pathos, suffering]

- amyloid a. deposition of acellular hyaline material in small arteries and arterioles of the leptomeninges and cerebral cortex in the elderly with resulting predilection for recurrent lobar intraparenchymal hematomas.

- cerebral amyloid a. a pathologic condition of small cerebral vessels characterized by deposits of amyloid in the vessel walls, which may lead to infarcts or hemorrhage; may also occur in Alzheimer disease or Down syndrome. SEE ALSO: congophilic a..

- congophilic a. a condition of blood vessel s characterized by deposits in the vessel walls of a substance, usually amyloid, that take a Congo red stain. SEE ALSO: cerebral amyloid a..

- giant cell hyaline a. an inflammatory infiltrate containing foreign body giant cells and eosinophilic material. Fragments of foreign material resembling vegetable matter may be included. SYN: pulse granuloma.

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an·gi·op·a·thy .an-jē-'äp-ə-thē n, pl -thies a disease of the blood or lymph vessels

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an·gi·op·a·thy (an-je-opґə-the) [angio- + -pathy] any disease of the blood vessels or lymphatics.