Atheroembolism occurring after carotid stenting: A case report

A case of a 76-year-old man with severe stenosis of the left carotid artery was reported. He was admitted for carotid stenting for the lesion because of symptomatic thromboembolic infarction suffered one and a half months before admission. He underwent carotid stenting uneventfully with satisfactory dilatation of the stenotic carotid artery. On the following day, he presented ischemic skin purpura lesions and acute renal failure followed by severe liver dysfunction and soft tissue destruction, which was diagnosed as resulting from an atheroembolism caused by the catheterization maneuver. In spite of intensive care including hemodilution and LDL serum exchange therapy, he expired on the third day due to multiorgan dysfunction and acute cardiopulmonary failure. Atheroemblism was considered as a rare but serious complication in carotid stenting that has been introduced rapidly in the field of neurovascular intervention.