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Washington University Experience | VASCULAR | Atherosclerosis | 4 Atherosclerosis (Case 4) gross 1

Case 4 History ---- The patient was an 85 year old woman with a long history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with worsening dyspnea, bradycardia and first degree heart block treated with pacemaker placement. Several days later she became hypotensive and unconscious and was resuscitated. Workup using an echocardiogram suggested atrial myxoma but later re-examination identified mitral stenosis and possible papillary muscle rupture. She developed a chaotic cardiac rhythm, became hypotensive and died. ---- Autopsy demonstrated a large septal MI which involved mitral papillary muscles. Atherosclerosis of the coronary and cerebral arteries was accompanied by prominent involvement of the aorta, with focal ulceration. ---- Marked atherosclerosis involving the vasculature of the circle of Willis

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