Cholesterol-crystalized coronary atheroma as a potential precursor lesion causing acute coronary syndrome: a case report.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Histopathological studies have reported the presence of cholesterol crystals in the culprit lesion in patients with sudden cardiac death. Given that cholesterol crystals themselves promote pro-inflammatory cascades, they may destabilize atherosclerotic plaques, leading to the occurrence of acute coronary events.

Case summary

A 60-year-old man presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Emergent coronary angiography revealed a severely stenotic lesion (=culprit lesion) and another non-obstructive lesion in the proximal and middle segments of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), respectively. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging showed that both lesions exhibited lipid-rich plaque with cholesterol crystals, and the non-obstructive lesion i

SUBMITTER: Sugane H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6764557 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature