A 50-Year-Old Man Is Brought to the Emergency Department Due

A 50-year-old man is brought to the emergency department due to chest pain.  He passed out briefly after the pain started.  Medical history includes hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and early-stage chronic kidney disease.  The patient reports that his father had a heart attack at a young age.  Despite treatment, the patient dies during hospitalization.  An autopsy is performed.  Light microscopy of the aortic wall is shown on the slide below. Which of the following underlying mechanisms is most likely responsible for this patient's disease process?

A) Atherosclerosis
B) Calciphylaxis
C) Cystic degeneration of the media
D) Granulomatous inflammation
E) Monckeberg sclerosis

Correct Answer:

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