Endovascular stent migration to the right ventricle causing myocardial injury

Abstract

Central stenosis of the subclavian and internal jugular veins is common in end stage renal disease. Treatment of these stenoses is difficult as these veins respond poorly to angioplasty alone and often require metallic stents to ensure patency. These stents are not without complications. Reports of stent fracture, thrombosis and vessel rupture abound in the literature. Stent migration can occur when used in large central veins leading to severe consequences such as pulmonary infarction, tricuspid regurgitation and right sided heart failure. In this report, we report a case of a subclavian vein stent which migrated into the right heart and caused subendocardial injury. As the use of vascular stents is becoming a common treatment option for central venous stenosis, the occurrences of serious complications associated with the stents are likely to rise.