title: Wandering stent within the pulmonary circulation.
abstract: To present a case of a wandering stent within the pulmonary circulation that was managed conservatively with the "wait-and-see" strategy. Accidental dislodgement of a left brachiocephalic vein stent into the left lower lobe pulmonary artery occurred in an 83-year-old patient suffering from end-stage renal disease during placement of a left jugular vein catheter. The following day, a second X-ray revealed migration of the stent from the left to the right lower lobe pulmonary artery. Our patient was managed conservatively with low-molecular-weight heparin and was discharged on clopidogrel. The patient remained asymptomatic with regard to the migrated stent for four and a half years and died of old age. This is the first case of a wandering stent within the pulmonary circulation reported in the literature, supporting the "wait-and-see" policy in the management of such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: kakisis@med.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kakisis
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vassilas
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antonopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sfyroeras
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moulakakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Liapis
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D015607:Stents; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine