Very very late thrombosis of a sirolimus-eluting stent: does suboptimal stent expansion take its toll even after three years?

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2008 Apr;9(4):403-5. doi: 10.2459/JCM.0b013e32827853d6.

Abstract

We report the case of a 55-year-old man who underwent coronary angiography in 2004 for early angina following anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Angiography disclosed a critical stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending artery and significant stenoses in the right coronary artery and first obtuse marginal branch, treated with two paclitaxel-eluting stents and a sirolimus-eluting stent, respectively. After completion of a six-month thienopyridine course and while still being on lifelong aspirin, in 2007 he was readmitted for lateral ST-elevation myocardial infarction: angiography revealed stent thrombosis beginning at the proximal edge of the sirolimus-eluting stent implanted in the first obtuse marginal branch. Intravascular ultrasound was performed after thrombectomy but before balloon dilation showing suboptimal stent expansion and a thrombus partially adhering to the sirolimus-eluting stent. The procedure was then successfully completed with the implantation of another sirolimus-eluting stent. This clinical vignette suggests that suboptimal drug-eluting stent deployment may be associated with stent thrombosis well after the traditional time frame of subacute thrombosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aspirin / administration & dosage
  • Clopidogrel
  • Coronary Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronary Thrombosis / etiology*
  • Coronary Thrombosis / surgery*
  • Drug-Eluting Stents / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Radiography
  • Reoperation
  • Sirolimus / administration & dosage*
  • Ticlopidine / administration & dosage
  • Ticlopidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
  • Clopidogrel
  • Ticlopidine
  • Aspirin
  • Sirolimus