REGIONAL REMODELING OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC ARTERIES - A MAJOR DETERMINANTOF CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF DISEASE

In this review we present the current data on remodeling, based on in vivo ultrasound imaging or postmortem histologic analysis of native pe ripheral and coronary arteries from animal models and studies in patie nts (coronary artery saphenous vein bypass grafts, lesions of restenos is after balloon angioplasty and other catheter-based interventions), Histologic and ultrasound imaging studies of arteries with atheroscler osis and after vascular injury reveal that arterial remodeling is comm on and that the cross-sectional area of the vessel is not constant, Co mpensatory enlargement, inadequate compensatory enlargement and shrink age at the site of atherosclerotic lesions occurs in coronary and peri pheral arteries, Current studies demonstrate that arterial remodeling is a major determinant of vessel lumen size. (C) 1997 by the American College of Cardiology.