Dissection (medical)
Encyclopedia
In medical pathology
, dissection (or dissecting aneurysm) refers to a tear within the wall of a blood vessel, which allows blood to separate the wall layers, creating a pseudoaneurysm
.
Carotid and vertebral artery dissection are grouped together as "cervical artery dissection".
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
, dissection (or dissecting aneurysm) refers to a tear within the wall of a blood vessel, which allows blood to separate the wall layers, creating a pseudoaneurysm
Pseudoaneurysm
A pseudoaneurysm, also known as a false aneurysm, is a hematoma that forms as the result of a leaking hole in an artery. Note that the hematoma forms outside the arterial wall, so it is contained by the surrounding tissues. Also it must continue to communicate with the artery to be considered a...
.
Types
Examples include:- Aortic dissectionAortic dissectionAortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. The dissection typically extends anterograde, but can extend retrograde from the site of the intimal tear. Aortic dissection is a medical...
(aortaAortaThe aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
) - Coronary artery dissectionCoronary artery dissectionA coronary artery dissection is a rare, sometimes fatal traumatic condition, with eighty percent of cases affecting women. The coronary artery develops a tear, causing blood to flow between the layers which forces them apart...
(coronary artery) - Carotid artery dissectionCarotid artery dissectionCarotid artery dissection is a separation of the layers of the artery wall supplying oxygen-bearing blood to the head and brain, and is the most common cause of stroke in young adults...
(carotid arteryCarotid arteryCarotid artery can refer to:* Common carotid artery* External carotid artery* Internal carotid artery...
) - Vertebral artery dissectionVertebral artery dissectionVertebral artery dissection is a dissection of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow...
(vertebral arteryVertebral arteryThe vertebral arteries are major arteries of the neck. They branch from the subclavian arteries and merge to form the single midline basilar artery in a complex called the vertebrobasilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of the circle of Willis and thus significant portions of the...
)
Carotid and vertebral artery dissection are grouped together as "cervical artery dissection".