Paraf F, Fabiani J N, Laurian C, Bruneval P
Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Broussais, Paris.
Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 1999 May;23(5):577-80.
Cholesterol crystal embolism is a serious complication of atherosclerosis resulting in renal, cutaneous and rarely digestive manifestations. We report two cases of systemic cholesterol crystal embolization with gallbladder involvement in two patients with gallstones, severe atherosclerosis with an abdominal aortic aneurysm as well as predisposing factors for cholesterol crystal migration. These two cases show that, like vasculitis, cholesterol crystal embolization may result in ischemic cholecystitis, and that diagnosis of cholesterol crystal embolization on routine cholecystectomy suggests severe systemic involvement and a poor prognosis.
