Akademik

Microangiopathy

Angiopathy means disease of the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries). There are two types of angiopathy: macroangiopathy and microangiopathy. With macroangiopathy, fat and blood clots build up in the large blood vessels, stick to the vessel walls, and block the flow of blood. With microangiopathy, the walls of very small blood vessels (capillaries) become so thick and weak that they bleed, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood. For example, diabetics may develop microangiopathy with thickening of capillaries in many areas including the eye. The prefix "micro-" is derived from the Greek "mikros" meaning small. It diminishes whatever it precedes.

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SYN: capillaropathy.

- thrombotic m. thrombosis within small blood vessel s, as in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

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mi·cro·an·gi·op·a·thy -'äp-ə-thē n, pl -thies a disease of very fine blood vessels <thrombotic \microangiopathy>

mi·cro·an·gio·path·ic -.an-jē-ə-'path-ik adj

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damage to the walls of the smallest blood vessels. It may result from a variety of diseases, including diabetes mellitus, connective-tissue diseases, infections, and cancer. Some common manifestations of microangiopathy are kidney failure, haemolysis (damage to red blood cells), and purpura (bleeding into the skin). The treatment is that of the underlying cause.

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mi·cro·an·gi·op·a·thy (mi″kro-an″je-opґə-the) [micro- + angiopathy] angiopathy involving the small blood vessels. microangiopathic adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.