E68

BRAIN - Infarction

Description
A coronal section of brain taken through the anterior parietal area, and mounted facing forwards. On the left side, there is an extensive haemorrhagic mottling, primarily of the grey matter but extending in some areas into the white matter.
History
This man was admitted three weeks before his death, with an extensive myocardial infarction and left ventricular failure. He suffered from thrombo-angiitis obliterans, and had had a sympathectomy some 17 years before. Two weeks before his death, he developed a right hemiparesis. At autopsy, thrombotic occlusion of the left internal carotid artery was demonstrated. Sections of this vessel showed atheroma with calcification, but no convincing evidence of thrombo-angiitis obliterans. Sections of the heart showed multiple infarcts of varying age. Sections of the coronary arteries showed changes consistent with thrombo-angiitis obliterans.