Mucin and fat emboli in mucinous carcinomas. Cause of hemorrhagic cerebral infarcts.

A patient with a mucin-producing carcinoma of the breast died after three weeks of progressive neurologic deterioration. At autopsy, numerous small hemorrhagic cerebral infarcts of varying ages were found. The infarcts were primarily located in arterial boundary zones of cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres. They were associated with numerous mucin and fat emboli. In any unexplained cerebral infarct in patients with mucin-producing carcinoma, mucin and fat emboli should be considered and searched for.