Retrieval of Unintended Migrated Detached Coil: Case Report

Owing to the rapid development of intervention techniques and devices, endovascular coil embolization of cerebral arteries has become standardized. It is particularly preferred when a patient presents with an unruptured intracranial aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA). However, the risk of thrombogenic complications of the coil migration may also result in a large cerebral infarction. When coil migration occurs during embolization, a procedure for removal of the embolic coil should be performed immediately. We experienced a clinically rare case of migration of a framing coil to the distal middle cerebral artery aneurysm during endovascular embolization of an unruptured PcomA aneurysm. The migrated coil was barely retrieved using snare techniques.

Management of a Complicated Cerebral Aneurysm with Distal Migration of a Detachable Coil: A Case Report / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

We describe our experience in which the migration of a coil into the parent artery occurred during the coil embolization. A feared complication during coil embolization of cerebral aneurysm is parent artery occlusion by migration of a detachable coil. Obstruction with migration of the coil into the parent artery may be especially hard to solve with an endovascular procedure. The patient had an unruptured internal carotid artery trunk aneurysm where endovascular treatment was performed with detachable coils. One of the packed coils escaped from the sac and migrated into the distal middle cerebral artery (MCA). Cerebral angiography demonstrated non-filling of a number of MCA branches. Repeated attempts at endovascular retrieval of the migrated coil were unsuccessful. Only after an emergent arteriotomy the migrated coil could be successfully removed. Subsequently, endovascular intra-arterial thrombolysis was required to dissolve the thrombus formed postoperatively in the distal MCA. The patient fully recovered with no neurological deficit. In our case a combined surgical and endovascular treatment of coil migration were performed.