Cholesterol Crystal Embolization in the Netherlands

Abstract

In the Dutch population, CCE is reported steadily, with an average frequency of 6.2 cases per million population per year since 1985. It occurs predominantly in elderly men with a history of atherosclerotic disease and hypertension. Symptoms may be absent, go unrecognized, or mimic other disease processes. It can also be a coincidental finding. The primary CCE site is the kidney, followed by the skin and gastrointestinal tract.