Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a progressive illness with onset in childhood, and the main cause of death in Western civilization. AS earliest lesions are usually seen in children under one year of age and small children, manifesting as a lesion called fat grooves. Aim: To find and characterize anatomically and pathologically AS lesions in fetuses and newborns. Methods: We studied 13 aortas obtained from autopsies; each aorta was opened lengthwise and examined macroscopically, fixed in 10% formaline and stained with hematoxylin and VanGieson. They were then examined microscopically. Some sections with lesions were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde for scanning or transmission electronic microscopy. Macroscopic studies: number of lesions, localization, size, color, prominence or not and degree of delimitation. Microscopic studies: type and ultrastructural characterization of AS lesions. Results: Six out of 13 aortas presented lesions (46%); 9 were gray lesions, 100% were well-defined, 9 lesions were not elevated; 91% measured less than 4 mm. The most frequent localization was in abdominal aorta (64%). The great majority of the opposing lesions corresponded to fat groove, some were incipient fibrous plaque. These lesions did not differ from those described in adults either in conventional microscopy or ultrastructure. Conclusion: It is worthwhile mentioning the large amount of AS lesions in the studied aortas. We believe that AS lesions could be a non-pathological process present in arteries of medium and great caliber in human beings at early stages in life.
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Alvarez, A., Schalper, J. Atherosclerotic Lesions of Fetus and Newborn Who Died by Different Causes. Pediatr Res 53, 871 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200305000-00040
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200305000-00040