Quantitative Arterial Wall Morphology

Abstract

The understanding of the etiology of atherosclerosis requires quantitative methods to evaluate objectively the extent and location of gross arterial lesions. If such methods of lesion mapping were available, it would be possible to conduct sequential studies on the progression and regression of both spontaneous and experimental atherosclerosis. The need is particularly great when considering any possible role that hemodynamics may play in atherogenesis. The supposition that hemodynamic forces are important in the initiation and localization of atherosclerotic lesions originated from the fact that lesions do not occur randomly in the systemic vascular system but that certain sites and geometric configurations (e.g. bends and branches) have a significantly higher possibility of developing the disease than do others. However, many of the observations on which this premise is based are anecdotal or semi-quantitative at best. Quantitative morphometric techniques which determine the exact location of atherosclerotic lesions over a population are essential if we are to determine with any degree of certainty if hemodynamic forces play an important role in atherogenesis.