Catheter-based invasive contrast angiography is the standard method for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD), and against which all other methods are compared for accuracy. Angiography provides the “road map” on which therapeutic decisions are based. Knowledge of the vascular anatomy…
Volumetric data acquisition with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has enabled the development of computed tomographic angiography (CTA), a diagnostic modality that has revolutionized the diagnosis of vascular disorders. Adequate imaging of the peripheral vascular system during a single acquisition and…
Acknowledgment Drs. Pollak and Kramer acknowledge the prior contributions of Dr. Cihan Duran, Dr. Piotr S. Sobieszczyk, and Dr. Frank J. Rybicki to the sections on principles of MRI and image analysis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable vascular…
Vascular laboratory technology offers many cost-effective applications in the practice of vascular medicine. Vascular testing includes both physiological testing and duplex ultrasonography. Physiological testing includes segmental pressure measurements, pulse volume recordings (PVRs), continuous wave (CW) Doppler, and plethysmography. These tests…
The ubiquitous nature of arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels allows for any region of the body to develop vascular disease. This chapter describes the vascular medical history and physical examination—the core components of evaluating patients with vascular diseases. Application of…
The term “vasculitis” encompasses diseases that share the feature of inflammatory destruction of blood vessels but otherwise include diverse clinical phenotypes and pathophysiologies. The rarity of the vasculitides and the paucity of animal models means that their pathophysiologies are not…
Fibrosis refers to the reorganization of loose extracellular matrix (ECM) and proliferation of fibroblasts that causes connective tissue thickening. Upregulation of profibrotic signaling pathways occurs in response to tissue destruction as a compensatory mechanism when parenchymal cells are unable to…
Overview of thrombosis Abnormal hemostasis leads to thrombus formation. Thrombosis in either the arterial or the venous system is a leading cause of significant morbidity and mortality. When thrombosis occurs in the arterial system, myocardial infarction and stroke may occur,…
Aortic aneurysms (AAs) can develop in either the thoracic or the abdominal aorta, termed thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) ( Fig. 7.1 ) or abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ( Fig. 7.2 ), respectively. AAs are further subclassified according to their specific…
Knowledge of the pathobiology of atherosclerosis has continued to evolve at a rapid pace. Previously regarded as a mainly segmental disease, we now increasingly appreciate the condition’s diffuse nature. The traditional clinical focus on atherosclerosis has emphasized coronary artery disease.…