Cholesterol Embolism

Cholesterol emboli are a common complication of advanced atherosclerotic disease. Cholesterol crystals dislodged from plaques through the circulation until they become trapped in smaller vessels, which leads to ischemia and infarction. Histological confirmation is made by biopsy of the target organs, which include kidneys, muscle, and skin.

A 71 year old woman admitted to our clinic with pain and black discoloration of left toes and right foot fingers. Her past medical history includes congestive heart failure. Severe aortic stenosis detected by echocardiography. Although she had atrial fibrillation, no atrial thrombus was detected. The appearance of the patient’s necrotic lesions was typical for
cholesterol embolism. No other spesific causes for this picture was found. Clinical and laboratory findings differential diagnosis of the patient will be presented in this report.

Kolesterol Embolisi