Coronary artery stent infection

AbstractThis paper aimed to examine the literature for cases of coronary artery stent infection in order to provide comprehensive data to clinicians regarding its prevalence, clinical presentations, and possible treatments. Coronary artery stenting was initially reported in 1987. Stenting of the coronary arteries is now used in 40–60% of all interventional coronary artery procedures. The understanding of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease is evolving. It has been suggested that atherosclerosis may be a complication of an infectious etiology. By using a stent to treat coronary artery disease, a foreign body is directly juxtaposed with an area of inflammation. The first reported case of an infected coronary artery stent was in 1993. Although this is an exceedingly rare event, the associated mortality is alarmingly high. Analysis of the literature reveals a total of four reported cases of coronary artery stent infection. Symptoms of stent infection present days to weeks after the initial coronary intervention. All four patients developed fevers and at least two patients developed postintervention angina. In patients who have had a coronary artery stented, the presence of a