Position dependent livedo reticularis in cholesterol emboli syndrome
Sheehan, M.G.; Condemi, J.J.; Rosenfeld, S.I.
Journal of Rheumatology 20(11): 1973-1974
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0315-162X PMID: 8308790 Document Number: 419060
We describe a case of a 64-year-old Filipino man who presented with cholesterol emboli syndrome manifesting as worsening hypertension, renal failure and livedo reticularis involving the upper legs and lower abdomen. The livedo reticularis became very prominent with the patient standing, but completely vanished after several minutes of lying supine. Deep cutaneous biopsy of an area of skin that was found to be consistently involved with livedo reticularis demonstrated cholesterol clefts in several vessels, thus establishing the diagnosis in this patient, and avoiding the more problematic option of biopsying an involved visceral organ.