Hollenhorst plaque

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

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.

Management[]

The most important step in management is to identify and treat the originating plaque to prevent further embolization.^{[citation needed]}

Eponym[]

The phenomenon is named after the American ophthalmologist Robert Hollenhorst who first described their significance in 1961.^[1]

References[]

External links[]

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