Vascular Terminology - Proscan Imaging

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Vascular Ultrasound - Terminology

AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) - a bulging or ballooning of the large artery in the abdomen

Aneurysm - a bulging or ballooning out of a blood vessel

Angioplasty - the insertion of a balloon catheter into a blocked blood vessel for the purpose of opening the blocked section

Arteriosclerosis - a disease in which blood vessels become tough and hard and lose their elasticity

Arteries - blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the body

Atherectomy - a procedure using a laser catheter, or rotating shaver to remove plaque from an artery

Atherosclerosis - a vascular disease in which fatty material accumulates on the walls of blood vessels causing them to become narrow or completely blocked

Bruit (pronounced brew ee) - the sound blood makes as it passes through a partially blocked blood vessel

Bypass Graft - a surgical detour around diseased or blocked sections of an artery in an effort to restore blood flow. The grafts are constructed of veins taken from elsewhere in your body of from artificial materials

Capillaries - small blood vessels that connect veins and arteries and which allow the exchange of nutrients and waste between the blood and tissues

Catheter - a small flexible tube that is inserted into the body

Cholesterol - a fatty substance that can accumulate in a blood vessel and block the flow of blood in that vessel

Circulatory System - the system in the body that contains the heart, the arteries, the veins, and all blood that circulates through the body

Collaterals - small blood vessels developed by the body that bypass a blockage in a larger blood vessel and restore limited blood flow

Deep Veins - veins that lie deep in the tissues and surrounded by muscle. These veins return nearly 90 percent of the blood to the heart

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - a venous disorder in which a blood clot develops in a deep vein and blocks the flow of blood through that vein

Doppler Ultrasound - Ultrasonic sound waves used to detect moving blood flow

Embolism - the sudden blocking of an artery by a clot that has traveled through the bloodstream; an embolism can be caused by an injury or a change in the consistency and flow of the blood

Embolus - a fragment, or small piece, of a blood clot

Endarterectomy - surgical procedure to remove plaque within an artery to improve blood flow

Intermittent Claudication - an ache or pain that occurs during exertion and is relieved by rest. Intermittent claudication is caused by blockage of an artery due to atherosclerosis.

Phlebitis - inflammation of a vein

Plaque - the accumulation of substances within a blood vessel which causes the blood vessel to become narrow and obstructed

Pulmonary Embolism - a complication of DVT in which a blood clot breaks away from a thrombus (an embolus), travels through the circulatory system, and becomes caught in a blood vessel of a lung

Sclerotherapy (Varicose veins) - a solution injected into a vein to close it off completely.

Stenosis - a narrowing of a blood vessel

Stent - a small steel mesh tube that is placed within a blood vessel after it has been widened by angioplasty. Stents are used to support the walls of blood vessels to prevent collapse after angioplasty.

Superficial Veins - the veins that lie close to the skin and are not as thick or as muscular as deep veins

Thrombus - a blood clot

Varicose Veins - a common disorder in which superficial veins become enlarged, twisted, and bulge beneath the skin's surface

Vein Stripping Surgery (Varicose veins) - an incision made to expose the varicose vein, which is tied off and removed

Venous Disease - any disease of the veins

Venous Stasis - slowing down or stopping of blood flow in the veins

Venous Stasis Disease - also known as chronic venous insufficency, a condition in which faulty venous valves allow blood to collect in the lower leg