E71

BRAIN - Multiple infarcts

Description
A brain cut to display infarcts of varying ages; anteriorly on the right there is an old cystic infarct; in the mid area on the left there is a more recent area of infarction and collapse, while posteriorly on the left there is a slightly older area of infarction. The internal carotid arteries show little atheroma, but there is quite marked atheroma apparent in the anterior cerebral vessels.
History
This woman was admitted to hospital with atrial fibrillation, left ventricular failure and right-sided bronchopneumonia. She stayed in hospital until her death some three months later. She had been hypertensive for some years; she had had a cerebrovascular accident six years before leaving her hemiplegic; for three years before her admission she had suffered from senile dementia.