4/14/10

Pathogenesis

ity, the progression from fatty streak to the occlusive ves­sel lesion seen in persons with coronary heart disease rep­resents the pathogenesis of the disorder. The true etiology of atherosclerosis remains largely uncertain.

Pathogenesis is the sequence of cellular and tissue events that take place from the time of initial contact with an etiologic agent until the ultimate expression of a disease. Etiology de­scribes what sets the disease process in motion, and patho­genesis, how the disease process evolves. Although the two terms often are used interchangeably, their meanings are quite different. For example, atherosclerosis often is cited as the cause or etiology of coronary heart disease. In real-

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