Atheroembolism in an endomyocardial biopsy from a cardiac transplant recipient after coronary angioplasty.
A case of a coronary atheroembolism after coronary angioplasty was detected by routine myocardial biopsy six years after cardiac transplant. The patient had had three balloon angioplasties within a five week interval for symptomatic accelerated coronary artery disease. Histological examination clearly identified atheromatous debris in a small intramyocardial artery with a secondary inflammatory response. This complication of angioplasty has been identified at necropsy in association with new myocardial infarction. It is unusual to identify this complication in a survivor, and in a case in which there was no clinical evidence of myocardial infarction. Myocardial biopsy samples a relatively small amount of myocardium, and this case suggests that coronary atheroembolism may not be an uncommon complication of angioplasty.
Clausell
N
N
Department of Medicine, Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada.
Silver
M D
MD
Daly
P A
PA
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017700:Embolism, Cholesterol / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*