CHOLESTEROL EMBOLIZATION - A LETHAL COMPLICATION OF INSTRUMENTATION OF AN ANEURYSMAL AORTA - A CASE-REPORT

A case of cholesterol embolisation (CE) following instrumentation of a n aneurysmal aorta is presented. The patient developed myalgias, lived o reticularis in the buttocks, suprapubic area and legs, that progress ed to patchy gangrene and renal failure. Maximum conservative manageme nt including heparin, iloprost and haemodialysis was ineffective, in k eeping with previous reports that there is no known therapy for CE. Th e aetiology, presentation, treatment and prognosis of this condition i s discussed. With the ever increasing use of endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, this complication may be more frequently encountered.