[Venous wall weackness pathogenesis in varicose vein disease]. / Patogenez nesostoiatel'nosti stenki veny pri varikoznoi bolezni.

Varicose veins of lower extremities, varicocele and varicose dilation of pelvic veins including ovaricovaricocele are the most common non-inflammatory diseases of venous system. The same mechanisms determined varicose dilatation regardless localization of the vein. First of all, these are wall weakness and valvular insufficiency combined with hereditary collagen fiber defectiveness in case of undifferentiated connective tissue syndrome. Imbalance between different types of collagen in vascular wall (especially types I and III) also results wall weakness. Other important mechanisms are smooth muscle cells dysfunction followed by excessive intracellular synthesis and intramuscular fibrosis and imbalance of protease system due to overproduction of metalloproteinases. We consider that different forms of varicose veins (varicose veins of lower extremities, varicocele, ovaricovaricocele) may be unified within one pathology (varicose vein disease).

[Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography as the most perspective diagnostic method for unstable atherosclerotic plaque of carotid artery]. / Kontrastno-usilennoe ul'trazvukovoe issledovanie kak naibolee informativnyi metod diagnostiki nestabil'nosti ateroskleroticheskoi bliashki sonnoi arterii.

Problem of internal carotid artery disease diagnosis appears to be crucial today. Complications of this pathology are strokes and transient ischemic attacks. There is no technology for their prediction or at least stratifying risks. Some recent researches are devoted to a new diagnostic method. This new technology is called Contrast Enhanced Ultrasonography (CEUS) and followed by outstanding results in studying the morphological peculiarities of internal carotid artery plaques and predicting the probability of complications. CEUS is a new way for atherosclerotic process analysis because it is able to detect intraplaque neovascularization and vascular wall inflammation.

[Imaging of neoangiogenesis of internal carotid artery's atherosclerotic plaque by contrast-enhanced sonography and histological examination]. / Opredelenie neoangiogeneza ateroskleroticheskoi bliashki vnutrennei sonnoi arterii s pomoshch'iu kontrastno usilennogo ul'trazvukovogo issledovaniia i patogistologicheskogo izucheniia.

Previously, atherosclerosis was considered a disease accompanied exclusively by lipids accumulation. At present time success of fundamental and experimental science confirmed that atherosclerotic process is also associated with neovascularization and prolonged inflammatory response at all stages of atherogenesis from initial manifestations to thrombotic complications. The cause of atherosclerotic plaque instability is neovascularization, which is accompanied by intra-plaque hemorrhage and damage. Complications of carotid arteries atherosclerosis are strokes and transient ischemic attacks. The use of a wide range of diagnostic and pathohistological techniques is required for assessing this pathology. The most promising diagnostic technique is Contrast Enhanced Ultrasonography (CEUS) which allows to assess neovascularization degree in atherosclerotic plaque through the injection of a contrast agents.