Percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with essential thrombocythemia: case reports and literature review

Abstract

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) can cause systemic vascular thrombosis, but the involvement of coronary arteries is rare. This study is aimed to analyze the characteristics, treatment, and prognosis during follow-up in patients with ET after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of eight patients with ET who had coronary heart disease and treated with PCI in our hospital from 2012 to 2018 were retrospectively studied. The basic clinical information with clinical data, data of coronary intervention, application of anti-platelet and platelet reducing drugs, and the results of long-term follow-up were recorded. There were five males and three females with a median age of 67 years. Clinical presentation was unstable angina in four cases, stable angina in one case, ST-elevation myocardial infarction in two cases, and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in one case. The average platelet count was 722 × 10⁹/L in admission, and hydroxyurea was used in seven cases. Coronary angiography suggested that all eight cases were single-vessel lesion. All the patients received PCI treatment, and Drug-eluting stent (DES) was used in all cases. Six were treated with one stent, one was treated with two stents and one was treated with three stents. After PCI, aspirin, and clopidogrel (or ticagrelor) were used in all cases. During the follow-up, one developed stent thrombus 2 months later, two developed stent restenosis 1 year later. In conclusion, PCI is an effective method of revascularization in patients with ET; but it may be associated with a higher rate of complications including stent thrombus and restenosis.

Keywords: Coronary heart disease; essential thrombocythemia; percutaneous coronary intervention.