Recurrent Early Coronary Stent Thrombosis under Chronic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

A 62-year-old Japanese man presented with chest pain indicating that acute myocardial infarction had occurred. Eleven years earlier, he underwent a splenectomy due to idiopathic portal hypertension. Coronary angiography revealed diffuse stenosis, with calcification in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). We performed a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We deployed two drug-eluting stents with sufficient minimal cross-sectional stent area by intravascular ultrasound and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow. The initial laboratory examination revealed chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). On the 8th hospital day, he developed chest pain indicating early coronary stent thrombosis, although he had been prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy. We performed an emergent second PCI, and the TIMI flow grade improved from 0 to 3. Clopidogrel was replaced with prasugrel. On the 18th hospital day, we detected a repeated coronary stent thrombosis again. We performed a third PCI and the TIMI flow grade improved from 0 to 3. After anticoagulation therapy with warfarin, the DIC was improved and his condition ran a benign course without the recurrence of stent thrombosis for 1 month. Contrast-enhanced CT showed portal vein thrombosis. This patient's case reveals the possibility that the condition of chronic DIC can lead to recurrent stent thrombosis. Stent thrombosis is infrequent, but remains a serious complication in terms of morbidity and mortality. Although stent thrombosis is multifactorial, the present case suggests that DIC is a factor in stent thrombosis. To prevent stent thrombosis after PCI under DIC, anticoagulation might be a treatment option in addition to antiplatelet therapy.