Atheromatous emboli in mural capillaries of carotid endarterectomy specimens.
Seventy-eight carotid endarterectomy specimens were reviewed microscopically for the presence of mural capillary atheromatous emboli. Twelve specimens (15%) were found to contain these emboli. An attempt to correlate this finding with clinical and radiologic data yielded no evidence of an increased predisposition to recurrent transient ischemic attacks or stroke in the affected patients even in the absence of ulceration. Nevertheless, further attention must be given to defining the drainage patterns of such embolized mural capillaries and elucidating their role, if any, in the pathophysiology of stroke.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004691:Endarterectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies