Journal of cutaneous pathology
-
Case Reports
Hydrophilic polymer microemboli in a patient with a chronic cutaneous ulcer: a case report.
Hydrophilic polymer coatings were designed to reduce friction between the catheter and vessel wall and facilitate intravascular manipulations during catheterization and placement of drug-eluting stents. One newly reported complication of such hydrophilic coatings is the fragmentation and embolization of the polymer, which can lead to ischemia and infarct by blocking the small vasculature. ⋯ This is one of the few reports of such a complication involving the skin. Our objective is to emphasize the histopathologic features of this uncommon iatrogenic phenomenon.