microscopic
Last reviewed 01/2018
The two most important features in the walls of atherosclerotic aneurysms are:
- smooth muscle atrophy
- loss of elastic laminae
The adventitia is compressed and is often the site of a lymphocytic infiltrate which may be a response to the presence in the lesion of oxidised lipid or 'ceroid'.
AAA has a familial pattern with a prominent genetic component. For reasons that are unclear, in population based studies, diabetics have a lower incidence of aneurysms than non diabetics (1).
Reference:
- (1) British Heart Foundation (Factfile 2/2008). Abdominal aortic aneurysms.