Acquired aortic regurgitation after coil occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus

Some patients with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may develop new aortic regurgitation (AR) after coil occlusion. This study evaluated the risk factors for the development of AR after coil occlusion of PDA. A total of 23 patients with PDA were managed with coil embolization over a three-and-a-half-year period. Three patients with pre-embolization AR were excluded. A post-occlusion transthoracic echocardiogram was performed within 24 hours after the procedure. Ten patients developed AR and 10 did not. Gender, age, weight, body surface area (BSA), pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Both larger PDA size (either corrected for weight or BSA, p = 0.008 and 0.002, respectively) and a higher ratio of pulmonary to systemic flow (Qp/Qs) [p = 0.013] were significant risk factors for the development of AR after coil occlusion. Re-evaluation of the patients at 3 and 6 months after the procedure revealed 7 patients still had a regurgitant jet. The results of this study suggest that the larger the PDA and larger the shunt, the greater the likelihood of developing AR after coil occlusion.