Atheroma

An atheroma is a deposit on part of the internal wall of an artery, the intima, as the result of accumulation of different materials (fat, blood, fibrous tissue, calcium deposition). The diameter of the artery is reduced and it may may impeder blood circulation

Atheromatous plaque forms gradually at the point of damage to the arterial wall, promoting accumulation of cells (muscle cells, immune cells) which gradually become laden with fats and die.