The Fight Against Cholesterol Embolism

Cholesterol embolism is a medical condition that occurs when a small lump of fat or cholesterol is traveling through a person’s bloodstream. When that happens, the normal blood flow is hindered and sometimes even blocked altogether. And that would produce a lot of negative effects in the body.

There are different types of embolisms and most of them occur in the veins. More often than not, it affects very ones that carry the blood to the heart, the lungs, and the other important organs of the body. And because the severity of the embolism varies from one patient to another, the symptoms associated to this disease differ as well. And it is also possible that the patient who has it shows no symptoms at all.

Cholesterol embolism is usually a complication of medical procedures such as vascular surgery, thrombosis, arteriography, and anticoagulation, which is a method commonly performed on elderly patients. Cholesterol embolism is very related to the Purple Toe Syndrome. This syndrome is not common and non-hemorrhagic. It is characterized by the presence of bilateral lesions on the patient’s toes and at the sides of his feet. And these lesions can really be painful.

One common symptom of this disease is muscle pains in and around the affected area, where the blood clot had occurred. In the case of the purple toe syndrome, the pain is felt from the toe up to the ankles, and it may extend all the way to the patient’s hip in some cases.

Along with muscle pains, muscle spasms may also be present. Spasms are cramps in the muscles, which is painful when the affected muscles move involuntarily. The muscles with spasms have the tendency to become hard and bulgy.

There could also be tingling and numbness either in the legs or arms. This maybe coupled with the loss of sensation extending to the upper limbs, or wherever the embolism is suspected to have taken place. Aside from these, the color of the legs would become pale and a decrease in the pulse rate around the affected area is observed.

Most of the time, the limbs will feel cold and its movement becomes restricted. It would also feel weak and may lose most of its muscular functions as the disease progresses. Blisters and skin erosions are also expected to develop.

Cholesterol embolism may lead to stroke or heart attack. This is how severe this condition can get. It could cause sudden death on the person who has it, especially if it is not given the medical attention required.

Several tests have to be performed to detect cholesterol embolism early on. Diagnosis can be facilitated by an ultrasound exam with Doppler. Echocardiogram, MRI, and angiography may also be performed.

The first line of treatment doctors do is the prescription of drugs that would dissolve the embolism, hence improving the flow of blood. The types of drugs commonly used are called thrombolytics, anticoagulants, antiplatelet medications, and painkillers.

But in more advanced cases, surgery is required. This is when the drugs administered to the patient fail to improve their condition. The surgical procedures possibly performed on the patient are thromboaspiration, embolectomy, angioplasty, or blood vessel bypass. Non-surgical methods, such as the insertion of catheters may also be performed. Doctors usually decide on which method is supposed to benefit the patient most.

While cholesterol embolism may be fatal, its severity can be dramatically reduced if it is treated promptly and properly. The death rate of this disease is only 30%, which means it is fully treatable. The cases of amputation is only 25%, if and when the condition is so advanced surgery cannot help the patient anymore. And the only down side of this disease is that the possibility of it recurring is there, even if a successful treatment was undertaken.