Pathomorphology and Mechanisms of Vascular Remodelling in Atherosclerosis

This review considers current views on the structural changes of the arterial wall in atherosclerosis. We follow the development of the plaque from the earliest intimal lipid deposits and fatty streaks to complicated lesions with haemorrhage, rupture, erosion and calcification. Particular attention is given to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and macrophage death as the processes that turn a stable plaque into a vulnerable one and lead to acute vascular events.