Carotid stent thrombosis: report of 2 fatal cases.
BACKGROUND
Carotid stenting is receiving increased attention as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy. Carotid stent thrombosis is a rare complication of this procedure.


METHODS
We present 2 case reports from a university medical center. Two patients had angiographically confirmed carotid stent (CS) thrombosis with subsequent fatal strokes. The first was a 63-year-old woman who developed stent thrombosis after the procedure was performed for a postendarterectomy intimal flap. The second patient was a 57-year-old man who underwent CS placement for transient ischemic attacks and developed internal carotid artery occlusion at the level of the stent 3 days later. Neither patient was treated with combination antiplatelet therapy before or after CS placement. Both patients died.


CONCLUSIONS
CS thrombosis can be a cause of fatal iatrogenic stroke. Combination antiplatelet therapy should be administered to decrease the incidence of this complication.
Chaturvedi
S
S
Department of Neurology and Stroke Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. schaturv@med.wayne.edu
Sohrab
S
S
Tselis
A
A
D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*