Blood vessel

The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, are so termed because they carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively.

Role in disease

Blood vessels play a role in virtually every medical condition. Cancer, for example, cannot progress if the tumor does not cause angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) to supply the malignant cells' metabolic demand. Atherosclerosis, the formation of lipid lumps (atheromas) in the blood vessel wall, is the prime cause of cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death in the Western world.

Related Topics:
Cancer - Angiogenesis - Atherosclerosis - Lipid - Atheroma - Cardiovascular disease

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Blood vessel permeability is increased in inflammation. Damage, due to trauma or spontaneously, may lead to hemorrhage. In contrast, occlusion of the blood vessel (e.g. by a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque, by an embolised blood clot or a foreign body) leads to downstream ischemia (insufficient blood supply) and necrosis (tissue breakdown).

Related Topics:
Inflammation - Trauma - Hemorrhage - Embolised - Blood clot - Ischemia - Necrosis

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Vasculitis is inflammation of the vessel wall, due to autoimmune disease or infection.

Related Topics:
Vasculitis - Inflammation - Autoimmune disease - Infection

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