Cholesterol crystal embolisation in the course of treatment with low-molecular-weight heparins

Cholesterol crystal embolisation is a rare complication of anticoagulant treatment of ulcerative atheromatosis to the great arteries. The embolisation is susceptible to affect both, the somatic and the visceral territory; clinical diagnosis is difficult, mainly because of the similarity between the embolisation symptoms and those produced by a complication of primary disease. The diagnosis is certain when the pathological examination reveal the presence of cholesterol crystal in arteriolar lumen, surrounded by inflammatory- cellular reaction (foreign-body reaction). This paper presents three cases in which we noticed clinical manifestation suggestive for cholesterol crystal embolisation, at patients in treatment with low-molecular weight heparins. The complications which were reported in case of cholesterol crystal embolisation could be extremely severe, specially visceral embolisation, they may lead to patient's death.