Stenosis
Encyclopedia
A stenosis is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel
or other tubular organ
or structure.
It is also sometimes called a stricture (as in urethral stricture
).
The term coarctation is synonymous, but is commonly used only in the context of aortic coarctation
.
type are often associated with unusual blood sounds
resulting from turbulent flow over the narrowed blood vessel. This sound can be made audible by a stethoscope
, but diagnosis is generally made or confirmed with some form of medical imaging
.
Examples of vascular stenotic lesions include:
The types of stenoses in heart valve
s are:
Stenoses/strictures of other bodily structures/organs include:
Blood vessel
The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...
or other tubular organ
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
or structure.
It is also sometimes called a stricture (as in urethral stricture
Urethral stricture
A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra caused by injury or disease such as urinary tract infections or other forms of urethritis.-Signs and symptoms:...
).
The term coarctation is synonymous, but is commonly used only in the context of aortic coarctation
Aortic coarctation
Coarctation of the aorta, or aortic coarctation, is a congenital condition whereby the aorta narrows in the area where the ductus arteriosus inserts.-Types:There are three types:...
.
Diagnosis
Stenoses of the vascularBlood vessel
The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...
type are often associated with unusual blood sounds
Bruit
Bruit is the term for the unusual sound that blood makes when it rushes past an obstruction in an artery when the sound is auscultated with the bell portion of a stethoscope.The term "bruit" simply refers to the sound...
resulting from turbulent flow over the narrowed blood vessel. This sound can be made audible by a stethoscope
Stethoscope
The stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to lung and heart sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins...
, but diagnosis is generally made or confirmed with some form of medical imaging
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
.
Causes
- atherosclerosisAtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
causes stenotic lesions in arteries. - birth defects
- diabetes
- iatrogenic, e.g. secondary to radiation therapyRadiation therapyRadiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
- infectionInfectionAn infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
- inflammationInflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
- ischemiaIschemiaIn medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. It may also be spelled ischaemia or ischæmia...
- neoplasm - in such cases, the stenosis is often said to be "malignant" or "benign", although this attribute actually refers to the neoplasm itself.
- smokingSmokingSmoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
- ureterUreterIn human anatomy, the ureters are muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually long and ~3-4 mm in diameter....
al - urethraUrethraIn anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...
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Types
The resulting syndrome depends on the structure affected.Examples of vascular stenotic lesions include:
- Intermittent claudicationIntermittent claudicationIntermittent claudication is a clinical diagnosis given for muscle pain , classically in the calf muscle, which occurs during exercise, such as walking, and is relieved by a short period of rest.Claudication derives from the Latin verb claudicare, "to limp".-Signs:One of the hallmarks of arterial...
(peripheral artery stenosis) - Angina (coronary artery stenosis)
- Carotid artery stenosisCarotid artery stenosisCarotid stenosis is a narrowing or constriction of the inner surface of the carotid artery, usually caused by atherosclerosis .-Signs and symptoms:...
which predispose to (strokeStrokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s and transient ischaemic episodes) - Renal artery stenosisRenal artery stenosisRenal artery stenosis is the narrowing of the renal artery, most often caused by atherosclerosis or fibromuscular dysplasia. This narrowing of the renal artery can impede blood flow to the target kidney...
The types of stenoses in heart valve
Heart valve
A heart valve normally allows blood flow in only one direction through the heart. The four valves commonly represented in a mammalian heart determine the pathway of blood flow through the heart...
s are:
- Pulmonary valve stenosisPulmonary valve stenosisPulmonary valve stenosis is a heart valve disorder in which outflow of blood from the right ventricle of the heart is obstructed at the level of the pulmonic valve. This results in the reduction of flow of blood to the lungs. Valvular pulmonic stenosis accounts for 80% of right ventricular outflow...
- Mitral stenosisMitral stenosisMitral stenosis is a valvular heart disease characterized by the narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart.-Signs and symptoms:Symptoms of mitral stenosis include:...
- Tricuspid valve stenosisTricuspid valve stenosisTricuspid valve stenosis is a valvular heart disease which results in the narrowing of the orifice of the tricuspid valve of the heart. It is a relatively rare condition that causes stenosis- increased resistance to blood flow through the valve.-Causes:...
- Aortic valve stenosisAortic valve stenosisAortic valve stenosis is a disease of the heart valves in which the opening of the aortic valve is narrowed. The aortic valve is the valve between the left ventricle of the heart and the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body and carries the entire output of blood.-Pathophysiology:The...
Stenoses/strictures of other bodily structures/organs include:
- Pyloric stenosisPyloric stenosisPyloric stenosis is a condition that causes severe vomiting in the first few months of life. There is narrowing of the opening from the stomach to the intestines, due to enlargement of the muscle surrounding this opening , which spasms when the stomach empties...
(gastric outflow obstruction) - Lumbar, cervicalCervical spinal stenosisCervical spinal stenosis is a bone disease involving the narrowing of the spinal canal at the level of the neck. It is frequently due to chronic degeneration, but may also be congenital. Treatment is frequently surgical....
or thoracic spinal stenosis - Subglottic stenosisSubglottic stenosisSubglottic stenosis is a congenital or acquired narrowing of the subglottic airway. Although it is relatively rare, it is the third most common congenital airway problem . Subglottic stenosis can present as a life-threatening airway emergency...
(SGS) - Tracheal stenosisTracheal stenosisLaryngotracheal stenosis refers to abnormal narrowing of the central air passageways. This can occur at the level of the larynx, trachea, carina or main bronchi...
- Obstructive jaundice (biliary tract stenosis)
- Bowel obstructionBowel obstructionBowel obstruction is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines, preventing the normal transit of the products of digestion. It can occur at any level distal to the duodenum of the small intestine and is a medical emergency...
- PhimosisPhimosisPhimosis , from the Greek phimos ), is a condition where, in men, the foreskin cannot be fully retracted over the glans penis...
- Non-communicating hydrocephalus
- Stenosing tenosynovitisStenosing tenosynovitisStenosing tenosynovitis is the progressive restriction of the sheath surrounding a tendon, causing inflammation .Two common diagnoses fall into this category:* DeQuervain's Syndrome...