Medical Glossary Aneurysm swelling or ballooning of an artery Angiography X-ray of arteries or veins to show disease after injection of x-ray opaque dye Angioplasty stretching of a narrowing or short occulsion in a diseased artery using a balloon to restore normal blood flow Aorta the main artery (hose pipe) from the heart, supplying blood to the whole body Artery high pressure blood vessel taking blood from the heart towards the tissues Atherosclerosis arterial disease involving deposition of fatty substances that causes narrowing and thrombosis Capillaries microscopic blood vessels supplying nutrients to the tissues. Cardiovascular system the heart and blood vessels circulating blood to and from the body tissues Carotid artery the artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain and head cerebral pertaining to the brain Cerebrovascular accident CVA (stroke) damage to the brain due to impaired circulation or haemorrage Claudication cramping pain in the leg or arm muscles on exercise Clinician a doctor responsible for providing patient care (eg General Practitioner or Hospital Consultant) Colourflow Duplex Doppler imaging a combination of ultrasound and Doppler techniques to image vascular disease Common femoral artery artery in the groin supplying the leg with blood Deep Vein Thrombosis thrombosis or clotting of blood causing occlusion or partical occlusion of a deep vein Diabetes Mellitus insulin deficiency or resistance causing high sugar content in the urine Doppler ultrasound ultrasound technique for measuring blood flow Embolus a particle usually of thrombus moving in the blood stream blocking an artery Gangrene tissue death caused by impair blood supply (ischemia) Graft - arterial or venous a tube used to bypass a blocked artery or vein (either vein or prosthetic) Jugular vein the main vein in the neck draining blood from the brain Middle cerebral artery an important artery in the vein often involved in stroke Mini-stroke transient impairment of the blood supply to part of the brain causing symptoms (see transient ischaemic attack (TIA)) Minimally invasive treatment or diagnostic technique involving minimal risk or pain for the patient (eg angioplasty rather than open surgery) Non-invasive treatment or diagnostic technique involving no risk and no penetration of the body (eg ultrasound techniques for vascular diagnosis) Peripheral arteries arteries suppling the arms and legs Popliteal artery an artery behind the knee supplying the lower leg which may develop anuerysm Pulmonary embolus an embolus arising from the leg veins or pelvis which blocks the artery to the lungs (may be fatal) Stent a tubular metal mesh often inserted during angioplasty (see angioplasty above) Stroke impaired neurological function causing paralysis or loss of speech caused by cerebral vascular accident (CVA - see above) Subclavian artery the artery in the shoulder suppying blood to the arm Subclavian vein the vein in the shoulder draining blood from the arm Thrombophillia an increased tendency of the blood to clot causing DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke and other arterial thrombosis Thrombosis the co-agulation or clotting of blood in arteries or veins, usually causing occlusion or embolism Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) transient impairment (less than 24 hours) of the blood supply to the brain causing symptoms similar to stroke Ulceration an open wound, frequently on the leg which may be difficult to heal Varicose vein swollen and torqutous veins on the leg which may be unsightly, cause symptoms and even ulcers Vascular an all-encompassing term describing arteries and veins in the "vascular system" Vein a blood vessel that returns blood to the heart from the body tissues Vena Cava the largest veins in the chest and abdomen returning blood to the heart from the body Venous Reflux incompetence in a superficial vein causing varicose veins, or in a deep vein causing venous insuffiency, aching, swelling and discolouration of the leg.