A56

AORTA & ILIAC VESSELS - Atheroma amd thrombosis

Description
This specimen has been opened from behind. There is an ulcerated atheromatous plaque in the aorta at the upper end of the specimen. The right common iliac artery is largely occupied by antemortem thrombus and the external iliac artery is completely blocked by organising thrombus. There is a little thrombus in the internal iliac artery but the vessel does not appear to be completely blocked.
History
This woman was admitted to hospital with clinical occlusion of the left femoral artery. Thrombus was removed but she died shortly after the operation was completed. There was no gangrene and the only additional finding at autopsy was that the right main pulmonary artery contained old organising thrombus, reducing the lumen by some three-quarters.