Stenosis () is the abnormal narrowing of a

blood vessel Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many Animal, animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the Tissue (biology), tissues of a Body (bi ...

or other tubular organ or structure such as foramina and canals. It is also sometimes called a stricture (as in urethral stricture). ''Stricture'' as a term is usually used when narrowing is caused by contraction of smooth muscle (e.g. achalasia, prinzmetal angina); ''stenosis'' is usually used when narrowing is caused by lesion that reduces the space of lumen (e.g.

atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis, characterized by development of abnormalities called lesions in walls of arteries. This is a chronic inflammatory disease involving many different cell types and is driven by eleva ...

). The term coarctation is another synonym, but is commonly used only in the context of aortic coarctation. Restenosis is the recurrence of stenosis after a procedure.

Examples

Examples of vascular stenotic lesions include: * Intermittent claudication (peripheral artery stenosis) * Angina ( coronary artery stenosis) * Carotid artery stenosis which predispose to (

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

s and transient ischaemic episodes) * Renal artery stenosis

Types

In heart valves

The types of stenoses in heart valves are: * Pulmonary valve stenosis, which is the thickening of the pulmonary valve, therefore causing narrowing * Mitral valve stenosis, which is the thickening of the mitral valve (of the left heart), therefore causing narrowing * Tricuspid valve stenosis, which is the thickening of the tricuspid valve (of the right heart), therefore causing narrowing * Aortic valve stenosis, which is the thickening of the aortic valve, therefore causing narrowing

Elsewhere

Stenoses/strictures of other bodily structures/organs include: * Pyloric stenosis ( gastric outflow obstruction) * Lumbar, cervical or thoracic spinal stenosis * Subglottic stenosis (SGS) * Tracheal stenosis * Obstructive jaundice ( biliary tract stenosis) * Bowel obstruction * Phimosis * Non-communicating hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis * Stenosing tenosynovitis *

Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis, characterized by development of abnormalities called lesions in walls of arteries. This is a chronic inflammatory disease involving many different cell types and is driven by eleva ...

* Esophageal stricture * Achalasia * Prinzmetal angina * Vaginal stenosis * Meatal stenosis * Anal stricture * Rectal stricture

Causes

* Alcohol *

* Birth defects * Calcification * Diabetes * Headbanging * Iatrogenic *

Infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

* Inflammation * Ischemia * Neoplasm *

Smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...

* Ureteral * Urethral

Diagnosis

Stenoses of the vascular type are often associated with unusual blood sounds resulting from turbulent flow over the narrowed blood vessel. This sound can be made audible by a stethoscope, but diagnosis is generally made or confirmed with some form of medical imaging (such as ultrasound).

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Gross pathology Medical terminology