Plaque to the Future
This modifiable risk factor is most strongly associated with endothelial damage and atherosclerosis.
What is smoking?
This bacterium is responsible for rheumatic fever following untreated pharyngitis.
What is Streptococcus pyogenes?
This phase of the cardiac cycle is when the ventricles passively fill and AV valves are open.
What is diastole (passive ventricular filling)?
This mediastinal division contains the heart enclosed within the pericardium.
What is the middle mediastinum?
These lipid-laden macrophages accumulate in the arterial wall to form fatty streaks.
What are foam cells?
This immune mechanism explains why antibodies against bacteria (typically GAS) attack cardiac tissue in rheumatic fever.
What is molecular mimicry?
These electrical events correspond to atrial depolarization, ventricular depolarization, and ventricular repolarization. (3)
What are the P wave, QRS complex, and T wave?
This structure forms the outer layer of the pericardium and anchors the heart to the diaphragm.
What is the fibrous pericardium?
This structural feature distinguishes a stable plaque from an unstable plaque due to its thickness.
What is the fibrous cap?
These infected masses composed of bacteria and thrombotic material form on heart valves in infective endocarditis.
What are vegetations?
This diagram integrates ECG, pressure, volume, and heart sounds across the cardiac cycle.
What is the Wigger’s diagram?
These two major nerves run through the thorax, with one passing anterior to the root of the lung and the other posterior.
What are the phrenic nerve (anterior) and vagus nerve (posterior)?
This acute event occurs when a plaque ruptures, exposing thrombogenic material and leading to clot formation.
What is thrombosis?
These symptoms are extracardiac manfiestations of infective endocarditis. (8)
What is the FROM JANE criteria for infective endocarditis?
Fever
Roth Spots
Ossler nodes
Mumur
Janeway lesions
Anemia
Nail hemmorages
Emboli
This type of cardiac cell has an unstable resting membrane potential and generates spontaneous depolarization via the funny currents.
What are pacemaker cells (SA node cells)?
This lymphatic vessel ascends through the posterior mediastinum and drains into the venous system at the LEFT venous angle.
What is the thoracic duct?
This condition presents with intermittent claudication due to reduced arterial blood flow from atherosclerosis.
What is peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?
This process explains why previously damaged or prosthetic valves are more susceptible to infective endocarditis.
What is endothelial damage?
Endothelial damage -> platelet and fibrin deposition -> allowing for bacteria to adhere to heart valves -> infective endocarditis
This hemodynamic consequence of chronic mitral stenosis leads to pulmonary congestion and eventual right heart failure.
What is increased left atrial pressure leading to pulmonary hypertension?
This structure arches over the right lung root and drains into the superior vena cava.
What is the azygos vein?