…as limb complications. Atherosclerotic lesions generally affect large and medium sized arteries. Pathological features include plaque formation with calcium deposition, medial thinning, destruction of muscular…

…greater risk of progression or rupture than asymptomatic lesions. Predisposing conditions Aortic dissection and its variants are associated with conditions that cause medial degeneration or…

…particularly high risk and should influence the urgency of management: Recurrent or ongoing chest pain despite medical treatment Acute heart failure presumed to result from…

…to established reversible myocardial ischaemia in either of two settings: Obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) that cannot be controlled despite escalation of antianginal medical therapy…

…a distal lesion. In observational data, a lesion proximal to the first septal perforator of the left anterior descending artery was associated with lower five…

…decades, the lesion progresses from a simple fatty streak to a complex fibroatheroma. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) migrate from the tunica media into the intima…

…infarction rates. Clinical presentation and symptoms The clinical presentation is determined primarily by the ACS syndrome and the haemodynamic consequences of the culprit lesion. Patients…

…mesenteric or lower limb ischaemia Paraplegia or paraparesis Persistent or recurrent pain Hypertension that remains uncontrolled despite optimal therapy Acute type A dissection has a…

…lesions Embolic debris obstructs the distal microcirculation and may be accompanied by microvascular constriction and endothelial or myocardial injury. Antithrombotic therapy may reduce embolization of…

…dysfunction (heart failure) and arrhythmias. The annual risk of sudden cardiac arrest is <1% and median survival is 3 years. Long term prognosis in aortiv…