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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Echocardiographic identification of ventricular septal rupture caused by acute stent thrombosis
Scot Garg1, Christos V Bourantas, Simon Thackray
1Department of Cardiology, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham Road, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK, HU16 5JQ.
Insights
Subacute drug-eluting stent thrombosis can lead to rare but serious complications. A detailed echocardiogram identified a ventricular septal rupture, changing the patient
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiac Imaging
Background:
- Coronary stenting is a frequent interventional cardiology procedure.
- Complications, though rare, necessitate prompt and invasive management.
- Diagnostic investigations like echocardiography are crucial for assessing myocardial function and guiding treatment.
Observation:
- A case of subacute drug-eluting stent thrombosis presented with an unusual complication.
- Standard urgent treatment protocols may overlook critical diagnostic assessments.
- Meticulous transthoracic echocardiography was performed.
Findings:
- Echocardiography revealed a ventricular septal rupture, a previously undiagnosed condition.
- The identified rupture significantly altered the clinical picture and management strategy.
- This finding highlights the importance of comprehensive cardiac imaging.
Implications:
- Comprehensive echocardiographic assessment is vital even in urgent stenting complication scenarios.
- Identifying concurrent conditions like ventricular septal rupture can modify treatment pathways.
- This case underscores the value of detailed cardiac morphology and function evaluation in interventional cardiology.
Abstract:
Coronary stenting is an increasingly common procedure. Complications are rare. However, when they do occur, they often require urgent invasive treatment. Investigations that are critical for establishing a diagnosis as well as such guide treatment as a detailed assessment of myocardial morphology and function using transthoracic echocardiography may be overlooked in the haste to treat the patient. We present a case report of subacute drug-eluting stent thrombosis in which a meticulous echocardiographic examination allowed the identification of a ventricular septal rupture, which ultimately modified treatment.
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