What does atheroma mean?
An atheroma is a deposit of fatty material that accumulates within the inner wall of an artery, producing the plaque that underlies atherosclerosis — the gradual hardening and narrowing of blood vessels. Composed largely of cholesterol, cellular debris, and fibrous tissue, these deposits can restrict blood flow and, if they rupture, trigger heart attacks or strokes, making atheroma a central concept in cardiovascular medicine. The term derives from the Greek athērē, meaning porridge or gruel, reflecting early anatomists' impression of the soft, mushy texture of these deposits. The word carries a strictly clinical register, appearing in pathology reports, cardiology literature, and health reporting rather than casual conversation. It is most often encountered in phrases such as coronary atheroma or atheromatous plaque. A related but distinct historical usage applies the word to certain benign skin cysts, though this sense is now largely confined to older texts and British dermatology.
A deposit of fatty, degenerative material in the inner wall of an artery, forming the plaque associated with atherosclerosis.
"Coronary angiography revealed extensive atheroma in all three major vessels."
Plural forms are 'atheromas' or 'atheromata'; both appear in medical literature.
Historically, a cyst-like swelling formed by retained sebaceous matter in the skin; this sense is now chiefly encountered in older or British usage as a synonym for sebaceous cyst.
"The physician excised the small atheroma from behind the patient's ear."
This sense is dated in American usage and should not be confused with the arterial sense.
Both plurals are standard in medical writing; 'atheromas' follows regular English formation, while 'atheromata' preserves the Greek-derived Latinate form favored in more formal pathology contexts.
"Microscopy confirmed multiple atheromata throughout the aortic arch."
The word atheroma literally means 'porridge swelling' — ancient Greek physicians thought the fatty gunk clogging arteries looked like gruel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of atheroma
The word atheroma comes from the Greek athērē, meaning porridge or gruel, combined with the suffix -ōma denoting a tumor or swelling; early anatomists applied it to degenerative swellings whose contents resembled gruel. It entered English via New Latin in the seventeenth century, initially describing cystic swellings including those of the skin. In the nineteenth century, as understanding of vascular disease advanced, Rudolf Virchow and other pathologists established its modern application to fatty arterial deposits. The same Greek root gives rise to atherosclerosis and the adjective atheromatous.
Related word forms
How atheroma is actually used
Atheroma belongs to formal, clinical register — it appears almost exclusively in medical writing, pathology reports, and health journalism rather than everyday speech. The plural is either 'atheromas' or the Latinate 'atheromata'; both are accepted in medical literature. The older skin-cyst sense persists mainly in British usage and dermatology.
Easily confused with atheroma
Atherosclerosis is the disease process of artery hardening caused by plaque buildup, whereas an atheroma is the individual fatty deposit or plaque itself.
In older and some non-medical usage, 'atheroma' also names a benign sebaceous cyst of the skin, which has nothing to do with arteries.