title: Myocardial hydrophilic polymer emboli following cardiac catheterization: a case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intravascular polymer emboli have been reported in the skin, lungs, and brain following vascular procedures utilizing hydrophilic polymer coated devices. The Cook arterial introducer sheath was the first of these devices to be introduced, after which case reports followed documenting sterile inflammation at the sheath access site, characterized histologically by perivascular granulomas containing hydrophilic polymer. More recently, hydrophilic polymer emboli have been reported in the vessels of the lungs and brain in association with ischemia and infarct following vascular procedures using polymer coated devices.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of intravascular myocardial emboli associated with acute myocardial infarction following cardiac catheterization. The patient was a 65-year-old man who received cardiac catheterization with placement of a bare metal stent following myocardial infarction. One month later, the patient presented with angina and died shortly after admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Autopsy revealed hemopericardium with rupture of the left ventricle through an aneurismal defect within the area of prior infarction. Microscopically, an area of acute infarction was present within the aneurismal defect. Numerous small and medium-sized vessels within the left ventricle were occluded by basophilic amorphous granular material with an inflammatory giant cell response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The emboli were most frequent in the area of acute infarction, suggesting that the emboli may have resulted in ischemia leading to the patient's death. This is the third documented case of intramyocardial polymer emboli following cardiac catheterization and the first case to our knowledge to document an association between intravascular myocardial polymer emboli and acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Electronic address: Lauren_E_Rosen@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Rohit I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mahon
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D011108:Polymers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015607:Stents; D062666:Vascular Access Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Cardiac catheterization; Hydrophilic polymer emboli; Myocardial infarction