Recoarctation after fracture of stent implanted for native aortic coarctation: case report

We report the case of a 20-year-old patient with severe arterial hypertension in whom coarctation of the aorta was diagnosed. She underwent cardiac catheterization with balloon dilation and stent implantation, with a good initial result. After this procedure she improved and her blood pressure was under control for six months. Her condition then worsened and she developed signs of recoarctation, with an increased Doppler pressure gradient in the descending aorta. On recatheterization a stent fracture was detected and treated with percutaneous implantation of a covered stent inside the previous one, with sustained improvement. Stent fracture is a rare complication of stent implantation in the aorta. Several etiological hypotheses and treatment options are reviewed.