Hollenhorst plaque

Hollenhorst plaque
Presence of Hollenhorst plaque in the superotemporal vessel
SpecialtyCardiovascular

A Hollenhorst plaque is a cholesterol embolus that is seen in a blood vessel of the retina.

Signs and symptoms

The clinical presentation is usually asymptomatic[1]

Cause

It is usually seen when a physician performs ophthalmoscopy, during which a plaque will appear bright, refractile, and yellow. It is caused by an embolus lodged within the retinal vessel that originated from an atheromatous plaque in a more proximal (upstream) vessel, usually the internal carotid artery. It is often an indication of a previous ischemic episode in the eye and is a sign of severe atherosclerosis.

Diagnosis

The evaluation of Hollenhorst plaque involves fluorescein angiography[1]

Management

The most important step in management is to identify and treat the originating plaque to prevent further embolization.

Eponym

The phenomenon is named after the American ophthalmologist Robert Hollenhorst who first described their significance in 1961.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Kaufman, Evan J.; Mahabadi, Navid; Patel, Bhupendra C. (2022). "Hollenhorst Plaque". StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Hollenhorst RW (1961). "Significance of bright plaques in the retinal arterioles". JAMA. 178: 23–29. doi:10.1001/jama.1961.03040400025005. PMC 1316410. PMID 13908419.
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