Premium
Histopathological characterization of intimal lesions and arterial wall calcification in the arteries of the leg of elderly cadavers
Author(s) -
Vos Annelotte,
Jong Pim A.,
Verdoorn Daphne,
Mali Willem P. T. M.,
Bleys Ronald L. A. W.,
Vink Aryan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.23701
Subject(s) - medicine , calcification , popliteal artery , posterior tibial artery , stenosis , population , cadaver , anatomy , dystrophic calcification , artery , pathology , radiology , surgery , environmental health
Although arteries of the leg have been studied in extensively diseased amputation specimens, little is known about the composition of vascular lesions present in the general population. The aim of this study was to describe the natural development of adaptive intimal thickening, atherosclerotic lesion development and vascular calcification in the leg of a general elderly population. Materials and Methods Two hundred and seventy postmortem samples from the popliteal and posterior tibial arteries of 14 elderly cadavers were studied histologically. Results Atherosclerotic lesions were more frequently observed in the popliteal (60%) than in the posterior tibial artery (34%; p < .0005). These atherosclerotic plaques were most often nonatheromatous (80% and 83% for popliteal and posterior tibial plaques, respectively). The atheroma's that were present were small (most <25% of plaque area). Atherosclerotic plaque calcification was observed more often in the popliteal (39%) than in the posterior tibial samples (17%; p < .0005). Medial arterial calcification was observed more often in the posterior tibial (62%) than in the popliteal samples (46%; p = .008). Plaque calcification and medial arterial calcification were not associated with lumen stenosis. Conclusions In the leg of elderly cadavers, the presence of atherosclerotic plaque and intimal calcification decreases from the proximal popliteal artery to the more distal posterior tibial artery and most atherosclerotic lesions are of the fibrous nonatheromatous type. In contrast, the presence and severity of medial calcification increases from proximal to distal.