Luminal narrowing due to intramural hematoma shift from left anterior descending coronary artery to left circumflex artery

Acute closure after stenting: not always a thrombus

This is a classic case of intramural hematoma causing acute myocardial infarction soon after successful stenting. This case illustrates the importance of intravascular ultrasound imaging to diagnose the underlying cause of coronary occlusion after successful stenting to guide the optimal treatment in such cases.

Extension of a coronary intramural hematoma as a complication of early percutaneous coronary intervention after thrombolytic therapy

The optimal treatment approach for coronary intramural hematomas has not been well defined, and discussion is limited to scarce data. In addition, the impact of prior thrombolytic therapy in the setting of coronary artery dissections with possible development and/or extension of an intramural hematoma is not well understood. We describe a case of iatrogenic periprocedural dissection of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) with development of an intramural hematoma and the extension of this hematoma to the left main (LM) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries in a middle-aged female, where prior recent thrombolytic therapy may have played a role in its triggering or facilitation of its extension. This case highlights the importance of facilitation of bleeding complications by prior use of thrombolytic therapy not only peripherally but intracoronary too and the use of intravascular ultrasound for both diagnosis, followup, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guidance.

A case of circumferential multi-vessel coronary intramural hematoma in a post-menopausal woman

Spontaneous coronary dissections are a well described entity which are often difficult to treat. Intramural hematoma is one type of coronary dissection. Previous case reports have described the treatment for angiographically visible dissection. We describe the first report of diffuse intramural hematoma visualized only on intravascular ultrasound with no angiographically obvious evidence of dissection treated with multivessel drug eluting stenting. This case highlights the importance of a high level of suspicion and atypical presentations of coronary dissection, and the use of multimodality imaging with intravascular ultrasound and computerized tomography for both diagnosis and therapy.

A case of intra- and extra-mural hematomas during recanalization for chronic total occlusion

An intramural hematoma is an accumulation of blood between the internal and external elastic membranes within the medial space, whereas an extramural hematoma is a dilution and/or dissemination of blood throughout the adventitia. Intra- and extra-hematomas are observed by intravascular ultrasound during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The patient described herein presented with angina pectoris. Her coronary angiogram showed diffuse narrowing of the mid-left anterior descending artery and total occlusion of the distal right coronary artery (RCA). Intra- and extra-mural hematomas developed during PCI of the RCA; however, the lesions were covered successfully using long drug-eluting stents.

Balloon rupture during coronary angioplasty causing dissection and intramural hematoma of the coronary artery; a case report

A 73-year-old male with diabetes mellitus was referred for coronary angiography (CAG). He presented with stable effort angina pectoris. CAG showed a significant stenotic lesion in the proximal-segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery with heavy calcification. He then underwent angioplasty for the LAD stenosis. On the second balloon dilatation, the balloon was inflated to 22 atm, at which point the balloon waist had not yet yielded and balloon rupture occurred. Immediately after the procedure, CAG showed no-reflow phenomena and chest pain occurred. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging revealed a dissection into the media with extension into the medial space without reentry, and demonstrated significant stenosis and obstruction of the distal LAD with a semilunar echo-dense intramural hematoma. To bail out, two bare metal stents were deployed. After the procedure, proper stents expansion and no residual dissection flap were detected either by IVUS or CAG. The final CAG showed a good result with TIMI-3 coronary flow. This case highlights balloon rupture during coronary angioplasty with heavy calcification caused no-reflow phenomena by dissection and intramural hematoma of the coronary artery. We could bail out hematoma by coronary stent implantation with complete cover of the coronary dissection.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided troubleshooting in a large hematoma treated with fenestration using a cutting balloon

Intramural hematoma formation is not a well-studied complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. We describe a patient with stable angina who developed an intramural hematoma during elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the right coronary artery (RCA). Total occlusion with dense dye staining developed a long way from the distal RCA, near the posterior descending artery bifurcation site. The true lumen was compressed by the enlarged, tense, false lumen. The patient was successfully treating with intravascular ultrasound-guided fenestration using a cutting balloon, and a stent was implanted in the distal RCA.