Background: Endovascular stent reconstruction is the standard of care for chronic venous occlusive disease in adults, but it has not been reported in pediatric patients.
Objective: This study reports the technical success, complications, clinical outcomes, and stent patency of iliocaval stent reconstruction for chronic iliocaval thrombosis in pediatric patients.
Materials and methods: Fourteen patients, 13 (93%) male with a mean age of 16.4 years (range: 8-20 years), underwent iliocaval stent reconstruction for chronic iliocaval thrombosis. The mean number of prothrombotic risk factors was 2.5 (range: 0-4), including 7 (50%) patients with inferior vena cava atresia. At initial presentation, the Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology classification (CEAP) score was C3 in 2 (14%) patients, C4 in 11 (79%) patients, and C6 in 1 (7.1%) patient. Time course of presenting symptoms included chronic (>4 weeks) (n=7; 50%) and acute worsening of chronic symptoms (2-4 weeks) (n=7; 50%). Aspects of recanalization and reconstruction, stenting technical success, complications, clinical outcomes and stent patency were recorded. Clinical success was defined as a 1-point decrease in the CEAP. Primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency were defined by Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe guidelines.
Results: Most procedures employed three access sites (range: 2-4). Intravascular ultrasound was employed in 11 (79%) procedures. Blunt and sharp recanalization techniques were used in 12 (86%) and 2 (14%) patients, respectively. Stenting technical success was 100%. Two (14%) minor adverse events occurred and mean post-procedure hospitalization was 2.8 days (range: 1-8 days). Clinical success rates at 2 weeks, 6 months and 12 months were 85%, 82%, and 83%, respectively. At a mean final clinical follow-up of 88 months (range: 16-231 months), clinical success was 93%. Estimated 6- and 12-month primary stent patencies were 86% and 64%, respectively. Six- and 12-month primary-assisted and secondary stent patency rates were both 100%.
Conclusion: Iliocaval stent reconstruction is an effective treatment for symptomatic chronic iliocaval thrombosis in pediatric patients with high rates of technical success, 6- and 12-month clinical success, and 6- and 12-month primary-assisted and secondary patency rates.
Keywords: Children; Deep venous thrombosis; Endovenous reconstruction; Inferior vena cava; Interventional radiology; Lower extremity; Stent.