Chapter 11The Cardiovascular System, Pathology

The Heart: Myocardial Infarction· M.I. = Coronary = Heart Attack

· Occurs due to lack of blood (oxygen) to cardiac cellsSymptoms:· Angina: Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or

below the breastbone· Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm· Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)· Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness· Extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath· Palpatations: Rapid or irregular heartbeats

Atherosclerosis/Arteriosclerosis· Atherosclerosis – Fatty build-up inside of

arteries decrease size of lumen and inhibit blood flow. · Aorta and coronary arteries are especially

susceptible to atherosclerosis· Arteriosclerosis – End stage of

atherosclerosis. · Smooth muscle cells and elastic tissue in the

tunica media die, and are replaced by nonelastic scar tissue.

· Weakened arterial walls could balloon into an aneurysm.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis

Embolism· A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in an

unbroken blood vessel.· If it breaks away and floats through the

blood stream, it becomes an embolus. · An embolus can flow through the blood

vessels until it reaches a vessel too small to pass through. It then blocks blood flow to tissues down stream.

· Could be life threatening if the embolus blocks tissues in vital organs: lungs, heart, brain

Embolism

The Heart: Congestive Heart Failure· A progressive condition that reflects a weakening of

the heart by coronary atherosclerosis (clogging the coronary arteries)

· Left side failure leads to pulmonary edema· Right side continues to send blood to lungs, but left side doesn’t

remove blood to systemic circulation.· Blood vessels in lungs begin to leak fluid into the lungs. Could

lead to death by suffocation.· Right side failure leads to peripheral edema

· Most noticeable in distal parts of the body: feet, ankles, and fingers become swollen

· Failure of one side of the heart strains the other side, and could lead to cardiac arrest.

BloodCirculation

Figure 11.3

Cardiovascular System: Anatomy

Aneurysm· Ballooning of an artery wall, can rupture

leading to hemorrhage.· Common in

the abdomen aorta, and arteries of the brain and

kidneys.

Varicose Veins· Common in people who stand for long

periods of time, and in obese (or pregnant individuals)

1. Lack of activity causes blood to pool in the feet and legs.

2. Over-full veins causes valves to give way, resulting in dilated, twisted veins

3. Thrombophlebitis could occur: blood clot forms in a varicose vein.

4. Clot breaks free, get trapped in blood vessels of the lungs leading to a pulmonary embolism (life-threatening)

Varicose Veins