70-year-old male. Hypertension. Several transient ischaemic attacks. Bilateral carotid bruit. Cause of death: myocardial infarction.

- Autopsy specimen of common carotid arteries
- Elastic artery with eccentrically thickened intima
- The intima consists of an amorphous mass with gaps filled by cholesterol crystals, partly ruptured, penetrated by blood (=atheroma)
- Small clusters of foam cells, especially under the endothelium
- Atheroma covered by alternating thick and torn collagen fibre layer
- The media shows a basic pattern of parallel lamellar elastic fibres. In some places parts of the intima break through to the inner media, disrupting the elastic lamella.