Mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the left circumflex coronary artery: a fatal complication following drug-eluting stent implantation

Abstract

Coronary artery stent infection is a rare complication of percutaneous intervention. We report a case of fulminant coronary stent infection with Staphylococcus aureus presenting as a pseudoaneurysm of the left circumflex artery following repeated implantation of drug-eluting stents in the setting of multiple episodes of recurrent in-stent restenosis. We speculate that sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents may be more likely to predispose to infection than bare metal stents because of their immunomodulating and antiproliferative effects.