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Cholesterol atheroembolism: an increasingly frequent complication of cardiac catheterisation
Author(s) -
Ong Hean T,
Elmsly Wayne G,
Friedlander Denis H
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb121135.x
Subject(s) - medicine , complication , cardiac catheterisation , surgery , catheter , autopsy , intensive care medicine , dialysis
Cholesterol atheroembolisation is increasingly encountered as a complication of cardiac catheterisation. Wereport three cases seen recently in our unit. Autopsy and histological evidence confirmed cholesterol atheroembolism in one case, while the other two patients presented with classical clinical features of this condition. All three patients were elderly with extensive atheromatous disease. No excessive difficulty was encountered at catheterisation. Embolisation involved the gastrointestinal tract, the skin and extremities, and the kidneys. Despite anticoagulation, dialysis and surgical intervention all our patients died. With investigative and therapeutic catheterisation being increasingly performed in the setting of severe atherosclerosis, the need for continued scrutiny for catheter‐induced complications is emphasised.