IVUS-Guided Intravascular Lithotripsy of the Juxtarenal and Visceral Coral Reef Aorta.

A patient with coral reef aorta at the level of the renal and visceral arteries was treated endovascularly. We used intravascular lithotripsy for improving stent expansion and intravascular ultrasound as an intraoperative diagnostic tool. The renal artery periscope technique maintained renal perfusion after placement of the aortic endograft.

Aortic stenting of coral-reef aorta for claudication of possible neurogenic or ischemic origin - A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Coral-reef type aortic occlusions are uncommon conditions that can result in intermittent claudication. Many claudicants also have concomitant neurogenic aetiologies and revascularization alone may not be beneficial. These cases can prove to be a diagnostic challenge. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of worsening bilateral calf claudication in a patient with previously asymptomatic coral-reef type aorta, anxiety, and spinal stenosis presents. Investigations were unable to differentiate between a neurogenic and vascular cause. The patient opted for aortic stenting before spinal surgery, after extensive discussion. Initial attempts at crossing the occluded segments were unsuccessful and the patient was offered the option to either resume conservative therapy, perform an open axillo-bifemoral bypass or repeat aortic stenting. After discussion, a repeat aortic stenting was performed. This time, the stenting attempt was successful, with completion angiogram showing brisk antegrade flow and strong distal pulses returned. Post-surgery, the patient's symptoms improved vastly. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Differentiation of vascular claudication from neurogenic claudication is diagnostically challenging. Decision to treat the aorta or the spinal issue first depend on the patient's constellation of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Endovascular aortic stenting is well accepted with good results and lower morbidity than open surgery. A repeat attempt is always a possible option.

Selective assisted intravascular lithotripsy for complex aorto-iliac calcific lesions.

BACKGROUND: Intravascular lithotripsy has proven to be safe, less invasive, and effective for coronary and peripheral arteries, and the indication has been extended to the aortic district but there is still little evidence in the literature as only a few cases have been described so far. METHOD: We report a case of intravascular lithotripsy of the infrarenal aorta due to coral reef, chronic occlusion using a single Shockwave M5 + balloon, followed by a covered stent deployment. The aortic bifurcation and common iliac arteries presented hemodynamic calcific lesions, which were prepared singularly with lithotripsy before aorto-iliac covered stenting in kissing configuration. The aortic length from which arises the inferior mesenteric and lumbar arteries was left uncovered preserving their patency. RESULT: In this case, a single shockwave balloon was sufficient to treat successfully and safely the aortic occlusion by heavy calcific lesions. At 1 and 6 months follow-up, the patient had no clinical symptoms, and the ultrasound assessment showed a triphasic waveform at the common femoral arteries bilaterally and confirmed the patency of the stent grafts. CONCLUSION: Selective assisted lithotripsy of heavy aortic and iliac vessels is possible, but definitive outcomes have yet to be supported by the literature.

Surgical Strategies and Long-Term Outcomes for Complex Coral Reef Aorta with Multisegmental Involvement: A Case Report.

Coral reef aorta (CRA) is a rare condition characterized by the distribution of rock-hard calcifications in the visceral part of the aorta, leading to potentially life-threatening symptoms, such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, and limb and visceral ischemia. The patient was a 54-year-old female who presented with leg claudication and was diagnosed with CRA using computed tomography. CRA affected the descending thoracic and abdominal aortas, including the visceral portion, leading to reduced perfusion of both limbs and the left kidney. The surgical intervention involved bypass surgery from the descending thoracic aorta proximal to the CRA to the aortic bifurcation, including reimplantation of the left renal artery. Postoperative recovery was successful and the symptoms resolved. However, the patient experienced decreased right renal function due to CRA progression three years postoperatively. Given the uncertainty regarding the optimal surgical approach for CRA, long-term considerations are crucial for its management.

Successful endovascular management of coral reef aortic occlusion.

Transaortic thromboendarterectomy and bypass have been the conventional treatment for coral reef aortic occlusions but are associated with significant mortality, morbidity and reintervention rate since these patients often present with heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension and renal dysfunction. Endovascular treatment has not become popular because of fear of aortic rupture and visceral ischemia. We present our experience with endovascular management of 10 patients with coral reef aorta. Uncontrolled hypertension, chronic renal disease, disabling claudication, and critical limb ischemia with tissue loss were the presenting symptoms. Seven patients had infrarenal aortic occlusion, and 3 had occlusion at renal and suprarenal aorta. Eight had involvement of the visceral vessels and 3 had renal artery stenosis. Common iliac, femoral and subclavian were the other arteries involved. All procedures were done under local anaesthesia. Aortic stenting was done in 7 and aortoiliac stent in 3. Two had covered stents and the rest had bare metal stents. Two had renal artery stenting. In 2 patients with suprarenal aortic occlusion, intravascular lithotripsy was used prior to aortic stenting. We achieved technical success in all patients with control of blood pressure and increase in Ankle Brachial Index (ABI). One patient died due to acute coronary event 2 months later.

Challenging Endovascular Treatment of Coral Reef Aorta and a Literature Review.

Coral reef aorta is a rare type of atherosclerotic disease that causes severe calcification in the abdominal aorta. We present a case of coral reef aorta with hemodynamically significant symptomatic aortic stenosis causing intermittent claudication and bilateral cyanosis of the toes. Despite the challenging anatomy for endovascular treatment, the patient underwent successful transfemoral endovascular stent-graft placement. The endovascular intervention with stents is a viable alternative method and, in many cases, constitutes the first choice for the treatment of coral reef aorta.

Suprarenal Aortic Occlusion Due to Coral Reef Calcification: Successful Endovascular Management Assisted by Intravascular Lithotripsy and Visceral Protection.

PURPOSE: Suprarenal aortic occlusion due to coral reef calcification has been considered not suitable for endovascular therapy because of visceral artery involvement. Unfortunately, open surgical treatment also carries high morbidity and mortality. We describe here successful endovascular management of a case of suprarenal aortic occlusion due to coral reef calcification with the use of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) and visceral protection. CASE REPORT: A 72-year-old women presented with uncontrolled hypertension, heart failure, and intermittent claudication. She was found to have occlusion of suprarenal aorta due to coral reef calcification at the level of the celiac artery. Celiac, superior mesenteric, and left renal arteries had stenosis. Right renal artery was normal. Intravascular lithotripsy-assisted balloon angioplasty and stenting of the aorta was done. Distal embolic protection of right renal artery and superior mesenteric artery was done during this procedure. Post procedure, there was no pressure gradient across the aortic stenosis, and all visceral arterial flow was maintained. Her cardiac function improved and hypertension could be managed with a single drug. Her pedal pulses became palpable. CONCLUSION: Coral reef calcification of suprarenal aorta can be safely managed by endovascular therapy using IVL and distal embolic protection of the visceral arteries.

Challenging endovascular treatment of a thoracic saccular aneurysm in extensive coral reef aorta.

Coral reef aorta (CRA) is characterized by heavily calcified obstructive lesions in the aorta. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is an established, less invasive procedure for aortic diseases; however, aortic occlusive diseases are commonly treated with conventional open surgery, and there are no reports of TEVAR in patients with a saccular aneurysm in CRA. We present a 72-year-old frail woman with a descending thoracic saccular aneurysm in CRA; therefore, we performed TEVAR. Although we had difficulty in advancing the stent graft system because it was caught in the severely calcified aorta, we finally succeeded in excluding the aneurysm.

The Use of a Commercially Available Endovascular Filter Catheter (Capturex®) for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) in a Patient with a Coral Reef Aorta.

Due to the risk of mobilizing plaque fragments, transfemoral TEVAR is a potentially dangerous procedure in patients with a coral reef aorta. We describe a practical method for transfemoral TEVAR in a patient with a degenerative thoracic aneurysm and a coral reef aorta. After placing a filter catheter in the abdominal aorta via a contralateral percutaneous femoral access, a working channel through the distal thoracic aorta was created with a balloon-expandable stent graft in the coral reef segment. Thereafter, transfemoral TEVAR could be performed successfully, without any complications. The additional use of a percutaneously placed filter catheter potentially allows reduction of peripheral embolism and hence may prevent patients from more invasive treatment.

Coarctation of the Aorta: An Atypical Case Treated by a Double Layer Stent Technique.

Introduction: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is one of the more common congenital heart defects that usually manifests in adults as poorly controlled hypertension. When technically possible, the treatment of choice for adult CoA is an endovascular approach with covered stent placement. A case is presented with atypical clinical onset, treated endovascularly with a double layer stent technique. Report: A 41 year old previously asymptomatic woman with an unremarkable past medical history presented with sudden dyspnoea, unstable blood pressure and pulse, and a radial femoral systolic pressure difference of 53 mmHg. A computed tomography scan showed coral reef aorta: aortic stenosis from a highly calcified lesion located distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery, compatible with CoA. Within a few hours, the patient went rapidly into cardiogenic shock with multiple organ failure requiring urgent intervention. Using a dual left iliac conduit and right brachial artery access, the lesion was pre-dilated with an 8 × 60 mm balloon. A double layer technique was then applied by coaxially deploying a BeGraft aortic stent (expanded to 18 mm) followed by a Conformable GORE® TAG® thoracic stent graft (26 × 26 × 100 mm). The patient's symptoms improved and the radial femoral systolic gradient decreased to 12 mmHg. Discussion: Sudden onset CoA is a rare condition in adults that can lead to refractory cardiogenic shock and multiple organ failure. In anatomically complex cases, a double layer technique may be beneficial because it has high radial force and good wall apposition with lower risk of stent collapse than single stent deployment.

Balloon angioplasty for uncontrollable hypertension caused by coral reef aorta: A case report.

Coral reef aorta is a stenosis of the aorta due to severe calcification. We report the case of a 74-year-old woman with coral reef aorta whose hemodynamics were physiologically similar to those found in patients with renovascular hypertension. The patient had resistant hypertension, refractory edema, and renal dysfunction. Bilateral renal artery stenosis and infrarenal aortic stenosis were suspected after a Doppler ultrasound examination. Evaluation by intravascular ultrasound and pressure wire revealed that the high blood flow caused by infrarenal aortic stenosis derived from the high-flow velocity in a renal artery without stenosis. Angioplasty with balloon improved the stenosis, and the patient was relieved from a spiral of uncontrollable hypertension, edema, and renal dysfunction. This rare case was a patient with coral reef aorta who was diagnosed with uncontrollable hypertension and angioplasty was performed effectively and minimally invasively. .

Unusual Manifestations of Coral Reef Aorta Complicated Severe Valvular Heart Disease in a Dialysis Patient.

We report the unusual case of a 68-year-old man with coral reef aorta complicated with severe calcified valvular heart disease who has been undergoing dialysis for 21 years. This report highlights the etiology and the unusual manifestations of coral reef aorta in a long-term dialysis patient. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Treatment of Coral Reef Aorta by Endovascular VIABAHN VBX Balloon-Expandable Stent-Graft Placement.

Coral reef aorta (CRA) has been described as a rare disease characterized by the presence of dense calcifications of the aorta. In this study, we report on two patients with CRA caused by intermittent claudication (IC) who underwent endovascular VIABAHN VBX balloon-expandable stent-graft (VVBX) placement. Both patients underwent successful endovascular VVBX placement via transfemoral artery approach, and hemostasis was achieved via vascular closure device. Their symptoms were observed to disappear completely after treatment, and they were discharged without serious adverse events. No symptoms were noted at 1.5-year and 1-year follow-up.

Novel use of intravascular lithotripsy for coral reef aorta: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The coral reef aorta (CRA) is a rare disease of extreme calcification in the juxtarenal aorta. These heavily calcified exophytic plaques grow into the lumen and can cause significant stenoses, leading to visceral ischaemia, renovascular hypertension, and claudication. Surgery or percutaneous intervention with stenting carries a high risk of complications and mortality. CASE SUMMARY: A 67-year-old female had presented with severe hypertension and exercise limiting claudication for 18 months. On evaluation, she was found to have severe bilateral renal artery stenoses with juxtarenal CRA causing subtotal occlusion. Both renal arteries were stented. For CRA, we used intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) assisted plain balloon angioplasty to minimize possibilities of major dissection and perforation and avoided chimney stent-grafts required to protect visceral and renal arteries. We used a double-balloon technique using a 6 × 60 mm IVL Shockwave M5 catheter and a 9 × 30 mm simple peripheral balloon catheter, inflated simultaneously at the site of CRA as parallel, hugging balloons to have an effective delivery of IVL. Shockwaves were given in juxta/infrarenal aorta to have satisfactory dilatation without any complication. The gradient across aortic narrowing reduced from 80 to 4 mmHg. She had an uneventful recovery and has remained asymptomatic at 6-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: When CRA is juxtarenal with no safe landing zones for stent-grafts, IVL may be a safe, less complex and effective alternative to the use of juxtarenal aortic stent-graft with multiple chimney or snorkel stent-grafts. This is the first report of a novel use of IVL to treat CRA.

A case of a 15-year evolution of a coral reef aortic lesion.

We are reporting here the 15-year history of a patient affected by a chronic and evolutive coral reef aorta successfully treated by repeated revascularization.

Case report of an unusual and catastrophic presentation of coral reef aorta.

BACKGROUND: Coral reef aorta (CRA) is a rare condition characterized by atherosclerosis and overt calcification of the aorta leading to severe luminal stenosis of the vessel. Most patients present with hypertension and intermittent claudication at the time of diagnosis. Risk factors associated with this condition are essentially the same as those associated with atherosclerosis. However, no unique condition seems to predispose an individual to develop CRA. CASE SUMMARY: We describe the case of a patient known for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with long-term systemic corticosteroids who presented with a shock of unknown aetiology and left ventricular ejection fraction of 10%. Conventional and computed tomography angiography showed a CRA with subtotal lesion of the aortic arch that led to cardiogenic shock. DISCUSSION: Even though the exact aetiology of her condition will remain uncertain, RA and extended use of corticosteroids likely played a role in the development of this severe form of CRA.

A Case of Rapid Progressive Kidney Dysfunction with Severely Calcified Stenotic Aorta.

Coral reef aorta is rare type of atherosclerotic diseases with severe calcification in the visceral part of the aorta. We present a case of coral reef aorta with severe abdominal aortic stenosis in a 67-year-old man. The patient presented with hypertension, claudication, and rapid progression of renal dysfunction over several months. Angiography revealed a severely stenotic suprarenal abdominal aorta resulting in renal ischemia and dysfunction. In addition, his right kidney was completely atrophied. After open surgical repair of the stenotic aorta including renal artery reconstruction, renal function did not improve. There was stenotic anastomosis to the renal artery. After endovascular therapy to the stenotic anastomosis, renal function dramatically improved. Stenotic coral reef aorta may be the cause of kidney dysfunction. In addition, surgical complication of stenotic anastomosis may be successfully treated by endovascular therapy.

Severe Obstructive Calcification of the Descending Aorta: A Case Report of "Coral Reef Aorta".

An 82-year-old man suffering from lower back pain and dyspnea presented to our institute in a state of shock. Computed tomography showed subtotal occlusion of the descending aorta with massive atherosclerotic calcification. As the proximal portion of the superior mesenteric artery was obstructed, emergency bypass from the right axillary artery to the bilateral external iliac arteries was performed, but the patient died 2 days later. Autopsy revealed that reddish-brown and verrucous masses obstructed the descending aorta, and high-grade thickening of the intima and extensive deposits of calcium in the lumina and medial layer were detected in the descending aorta histologically.

Descendo-bifemoral bypass grafting and renal artery revascularization to treat complex obliterative arteriopathy.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to describe a new standardized approach in patients with extensive obliterative arteriopathy aimed at distal revascularization and surgical kidney recruitment via descendo-bifemoral bypass grafting and renal artery revascularization. METHODS: Three patients with Leriche's syndrome and either a compromised single kidney or unilateral significant renal artery stenosis were treated with a standardized surgical approach, restoration of distal perfusion via descendo-bifemoral bypass with synchronous ( n = 2) left-sided renal artery revascularization or metachronous ( n = 1) right-sided renal artery revascularization. RESULTS: The intended surgical aim was achieved successfully in all 3 cases. All patients showed a decline in serum creatinine levels. One patient who needed substitution therapy was free from dialysis 3 months after surgery. Additionally, blood pressure management was substantially reduced because uncontrolled peak systolic episodes were no longer observed and pharmacotherapeutic agents could be partially withdrawn. CONCLUSIONS: Distal revascularization and surgical kidney recruitment via descendo-bifemoral bypass and renal artery revascularization is a promising option to treat complex obliterative arteriopathy.