[Emboli-forming arteriopathies of the limbs]

Atheromatous embolism disease is a recently defined entity of still to be determined prevalence. This complication can develop during the course of any arterial disease by overload or dystrophy in lower limbs, and is certainly responsible for many cases of worsening of subacute ischemias occurring during arterial disease for which it is not always possible to affirm the embolic origin. It is in no way a rare syndrome and the true frequency of this affection can only be underestimated. If arterial dystrophies are excluded, the primum movens is ulceration of an atherosclerotic plaque. Two types of emboli have been described as originating in these plaques. First, small cholesterol crystal emboli containing fibrino-platelet material that are the cause of very distal arterial occlusion, notably in the foot: the most typical corresponding clinical condition is the so-called blue toe syndrome. Second, larger emboli due to formation and migration of a fibrino-platelet thrombus in contact with the atheromatous ulcer. They consist mainly of fibrino-platelet material with variable quantities of atheromatous debris. They may be of moderate size, occluding a collateral of the deep femoral artery or a leg artery usually in an asymptomatic manner, or larger and provoking occlusion of main trunks. Diagnostic difficulties emphasize the importance of referring all embolectomy products for histopathology. One of the essential problems of this disease is that of diagnostic criteria. When confronted with the previously evoked picture of peripheral ischemia and/or a peripheral arterial occlusive lesion, how can this distal accident be related to a subjacent arterial lesion suspected of possessing an emboli-forming nature?(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)