Extensive and unusual distribution of atherosclerosis

Although atherosclerosis is unevenly distributed, abdominal aorta is more extensively involved than thoracic aorta. However, in hypertensive patients, lesion of the carotid, cerebral, and basilar arteries are more common. We report a case of extensive and unusual distribution of atherosclerosis in 60-years male with history of hypertension since five years. In this the atherosclerosis with calcification was present in the complete aorta and its branches, coronary, carotids, vertebral, basilar and cerebral arteries. Even the smaller branches of the circle of Willis were calcified and beaded in appearance due to the atherosclerosis. But the extensive and advanced lesions were more common in the thoracic aorta near arch rather than the abdominal aorta. The fatty streak was present in almost all other vessels including renal, splenic, femoral and axillary's arteries. Such an extensive and unusual distribution of atherosclerosis in an individual case is rare and not reported previously.