Life-threatening common carotid artery blowout: rescue treatment with a newly designed self-expanding covered nitinol stent

Br J Radiol. 2006 Mar;79(939):226-31. doi: 10.1259/bjr/66917189.

Abstract

Carotid blowout is a devastating complication in patients with head and neck malignancy. A covered stent offers an alternative to treatment of a carotid blowout patient thought to be at high risk for surgery or carotid occlusion. Stent placement in the common carotid artery or carotid bulb is a technical challenge because of large luminal diameter and luminal calibre discrepancy between internal carotid artery and common carotid artery. We present four patients with common carotid rupture and massive bleeding who were treated with self-expanding covered stents, among them, two cases were treated with newly designed self-expanding polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered nitinol stents.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alloys
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis
  • Carotid Artery, Common*
  • Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula / diagnostic imaging
  • Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula / therapy*
  • Critical Illness
  • Equipment Design
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / complications
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Hemorrhage / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • Radiography
  • Rupture, Spontaneous / diagnostic imaging
  • Rupture, Spontaneous / etiology
  • Stents*

Substances

  • Alloys
  • nitinol
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene