Cholesterol-embolism: diagnosis by endoscopy

A case report is presented, concerning a 68-year-old woman, with gastro-intestinal complaints, six weeks after an aortic arteriography. On gastroscopy a duodenal ulcer was found and multiple purple discolourations. Biopsies show that these discolourations were caused by cholesterol-emboli. As the patient's complaints resided quickly after treatment for duodenal ulcer, the cholesterol-emboli can be seen as incidental findings. The gastroscopical biopsies were an important clue to the diagnosis of the cause of the rapid progressive renal failure in this patient.