Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty for Carotid Artery Occlusion Caused by Takayasu Arteritis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Interventional Cardiology
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting large arteries, primarily the aorta and its branches.
• Supra-aortic artery involvement in TA can lead to severe stenosis or occlusion, causing diverse neurological and vascular symptoms.
• Current treatment strategies for TA include immunosuppression and revascularization, with varying success rates.

Observation:

• A 27-year-old male presented with dizziness and amaurosis, diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis.
• Computed tomography angiography revealed occlusion of all supra-aortic arteries, except for an aberrant right subclavian artery.
• The patient had significant stenosis in the right common carotid artery.

Findings:

• The patient underwent successful drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for the right common carotid artery lesion.
• Post-procedure, the patient experienced symptom resolution and maintained patency of the treated artery at six-month follow-up.
• No recurrence of symptoms or restenosis was observed on follow-up imaging.

Implications:

• Drug-coated balloon angioplasty demonstrates promising efficacy in treating supra-aortic artery lesions in Takayasu arteritis.
• DCB angioplasty may represent a novel, minimally invasive therapeutic option for selected TA patients with vascular stenosis.
• This case highlights the potential for DCB technology in managing complex arterial inflammatory diseases.