title: Management of idiopathic obstruction of the hepatic and suprahepatic inferior vena cava with a self-expanding metallic stent.
abstract: Ten patients (median age 36 yr, 5 male) with idiopathic IVC obstruction underwent balloon angioplasty followed by placement of a self-expanding stent due to unfavourable lesion characteristics. Six had total occlusion, 5 had restenosis (including 2 with total occlusion), and 1 had a suboptimal result after initial dilatation. Median minimum IVC diameter increased from 0 to 14.5 mm, and the median gradient across the lesion decreased from 16.5 to 1 mmHg. Follow-up venography (median interval 69 d) in six patients revealed no restenosis with further enlargement at the lesion site (median 4.5 mm) and abolition of gradients. Follow-up ultrasound in nine patients revealed no restenosis in the IVC. One patient died 6 mo after the procedure with acute Budd-Chiari syndrome due to hepatic vein occlusion. Autopsy revealed a widely patent stent with hepatic vein thrombus. Stent implantation is useful in the management of IVC obstruction with prior restenosis, total occlusion, or suboptimal result of balloon angioplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wasir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior