Atheroembolic disease

Atheroembolic disease is medical conditions caused by the embolization of ruptured atheromatous plaques into distal blood vessels.

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Symptoms

• Pain, abdominal/flank, legs, thighs or foot - continuous
• Claudication
• Vascular insufficiency, purple toes
• Hypertension - high blood pressure
• Skin ulcers
• Hematuria - blood in the urine

Risk factors

• Smoking
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Hypertension
• Diabetes mellitus
• Family history
• Previous atheroembolism

Complications

• chronic renal failure
• acute renal failure
• stroke
• myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• ischemic limb requiring amputation
• bowel ischemic

Diagnosis

• Urinalysis
• Blood work - CBC, creatinine, cholesterol
• Pyelography
• Renal angiogram

Treatment

Atheroembolic disease is difficult to treat. The primary treatment is prevention, by controlling the risk factors (i.e. smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension).

Prognosis of the condition is generally poor as embolization is usually chronic.