Key result
A 55-year-old man developed life-threatening cholesterol emboli presenting as blue toe syndrome and acute renal failure following repeat percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Case Report (n=1)
Cholesterol embolization is a rare but life-threatening complication of PTCA that can present as blue toe syndrome and acute renal failure, requiring high clinical suspicion and potentially skin biopsy for diagnosis.
Supports high clinical suspicion for cholesterol embolization after PTCA in blue toe syndrome with renal failure; single case report leaves open incidence and prevention.
A 55-year-old man required hemodialysis for acute renal failure 3 days after repeat percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Bilateral acrocyanosis and necrotic lesions of the toes occurred 10 days after PTCA. Skin biopsy samples revealed needle-shaped cholesterol crystals of the intraluminal clefts in his small arteries. He was diagnosed with cholesterol emboli presenting as blue toe syndrome. The conditions improved with anticoagulation and vasodilation, but improvement in renal function was temporary. He later required maintenance hemodialysis. Cholesterol emboli following PTCA are life threatening because they are difficult to diagnose and can cause severe complications.
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Otsubo et al. (1995) conducted a case report in Cholesterol emboli, blue toe syndrome, and acute renal failure (n=1). Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was evaluated. A 55-year-old man developed life-threatening cholesterol emboli presenting as blue toe syndrome and acute renal failure following repeat percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
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