Belenfant X, Rossert J, d'Auzac C, Caudwell W, Jacquot C
A growing cause of iatrogenic renal failure: cholesterol crystal embolisation. A series of 50 patients at one institution
33rd Congress of the Eur Dial Transplant Assoc
Nephrol Dial Transplant (Jun) 11:A85 1996

Cholesterol embolization is considered a rare cause of renal failure. This is the largest series presented so far. Patients with such disease were old ( 70 years) and males (M/F=9/1). In the great majority (96%) embolization was caused by angiographic procedures, cardiovascular surgery or anticoagulation. Skin signs of widespread embolization (livedo reticularis) were present in as much as 85% of cases and a high eosinophil count in 50%. Renal failure proved to be irreversible in 40% of cases and haemodialysis was required in 61%. Two years mortality in these cases was 47%.

Comment: This series further confirm that cholesterol embolization is much less rare than previously thought. This complication probably constitutes one of the main causes of acute renal failure in the elderly and entails a high morbidity and mortality (Carmine Zoccali, M.D., Reggio Calabria, Italy).

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33rd Congress of the Eur Dial Transplant Assoc
ARF etiology : Embolic disease