Aortic and arterial aneurysms in behçet disease: management with stent-grafts--initial experience.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the application of stent-grafts in the management of aortic and arterial aneurysms in patients with Behçet disease.


METHODS
Nine aneurysms in seven patients were managed with various types of stent-grafts. Diagnoses were based on clinical findings. The aortic aneurysms (n = 3) were thoracic (n = 1), suprarenal (n = 1), or infrarenal (n = 1). The arterial aneurysms (n = 6) were in the right and left subclavian (n = 2), right common carotid (n = 2), right brachiocephalic (n = 1), or left common iliac arteries (n = 1). A tandem connection of Gianturco stent covered with polytetrafluorethylene was placed in three aneurysms, and a balloon-expandable stent was placed in six.


RESULTS
The stent-graft was successfully placed in all patients. Immediate follow-up angiography revealed complete exclusion of the aneurysm in all cases. Follow-up computed tomography performed 3 days to 2 weeks later revealed complete exclusion and thrombosis of the aneurysm and patency of the stent-graft in six patients. In one patient, total occlusion of the artery with a stent occurred due to flow disturbance caused by double lesions. During follow-up (range, 6-59 months; mean, 28 months), the aneurysm resolved and completely regressed in four patients. A recurrent aneurysm at the distal margin of previously inserted stent-graft was successfully managed with an additional stent-graft.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings in this initial experience suggest that stent-graft insertion may be a safe and effective alternative to surgical treatment of aortic and arterial aneurysms in patients with Behçet disease.
Park
J H
JH
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. parkjh@radcom.snu.ac.kr
Chung
J W
JW
Joh
J H
JH
Song
S Y
SY
Shin
S J
SJ
Chung
K S
KS
Lee
D Y
DY
Won
J Y
JY
Kim
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D015607:Stents; D013348:Subclavian Artery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed