Successful transcatheter embolization of penetrating aortic ulcer using interlocking detachable coils

A 54-year-old man with persistent chest pain was hospitalized for hypertension and DeBakey type IIIb aortic dissection. The false lumen of the dissection was almost completely thrombosed; however, a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) was observed 5 weeks later. At that time, we successfully embolized the PAU with a microcatheter and interlocking detachable coils (IDCs). The patient is well with no episodes of relapse in 20 months of follow-up. This case suggests the utility of the microcatheter and IDC system as an alternative to surgery.