Inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels, which can restrict blood flow and potentially damage the vessel walls.
From endo- (inside) + vascular (relating to blood vessels, from Latin vas meaning vessel) + -itis (inflammation). The term was formed in medical Latin to describe inflammation specifically within the vessel wall.
This condition was especially mysterious to 19th-century doctors because they couldn't see inside blood vessels with their naked eye—they had to infer the disease from symptoms like pain and swelling, making diagnosis feel like detective work!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.