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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">abc</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">Arq. Bras. Cardiol.</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0066-782X</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">1678-4170</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia - SBC</publisher-name>
        <publisher-loc>S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brazil</publisher-loc>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v3">5ytCsNbWLzHDJ9wLmvL3NXw</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="other">00011</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v2">S0066-782X2004001700011</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v1">S0066-782X(04)08300511</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1590/S0066-782X2004001700011</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Relato de Casos</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Implante de stent em estenose cr&#237;tica no tronco cel&#237;aco: expandindo as fronteiras da interven&#231;&#227;o vascular percut&#226;nea</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Quadros</surname>
            <given-names>Alexandre Schaan de</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Sarmento-Leite</surname>
            <given-names>Rog&#233;rio</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Moraes</surname>
            <given-names>Cl&#225;udio Vasquez</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Yordi</surname>
            <given-names>Luis Maria</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff02">
        <addr-line>
          <named-content content-type="city">Porto Alegre</named-content>
        </addr-line>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Hospital Moinhos de Vento</institution>
      </aff>
      <aff id="aff01">
        <institution content-type="orgname">Hospital M&#227;e de Deus</institution>
        <institution content-type="orgdiv1">Centro de Terapia Endovascular </institution>
      </aff>
      <pub-date date-type="collection" publication-format="electronic">
        <month>11</month>
        <year>2004</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>83</volume>
      <issue>5</issue>
      <fpage>442</fpage>
      <lpage>444</lpage>
      <permissions>
        <license license-type="open-access" xlink:href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" xml:lang="en">
          <license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub">
        <day>11</day>
        <month>11</month>
        <year>2004</year>
      </pub-date>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <p>
      <bold>RELATO DE CASO</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Implante de <italic><bold>stent</bold></italic> em estenose cr&#237;tica no tronco cel&#237;aco: expandindo as fronteiras da interven&#231;&#227;o vascular percut&#226;nea</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Alexandre Schaan de Quadros; Rog&#233;rio Sarmento-Leite; Cl&#225;udio Vasquez Moraes; Luis Maria Yordi </bold>
    </p>
    <p>Porto Alegre, RS</p>
    <p>Centro de Terapia Endovascular do Hospital M&#227;e de Deus e Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre </p>
    <p>
      <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="back10">Endere&#231;o para correspond&#234;ncia</xref>
    </p>
    <p><italic>A isquemia mesent&#233;rica sintom&#225;tica est&#225; geralmente associada &#224; aterosclerose grave e difusa das art&#233;rias viscerais, tornando-se uma situa&#231;&#227;o cl&#237;nica infreq&#252;ente e de dif&#237;cil manejo. Descrevemos o caso de uma mulher, de 75 anos, com angina mesent&#233;rica incapacitante e estenose de 80% na origem do tronco cel&#237;aco, estenose de 50% proximal na art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica superior e oclus&#227;o da art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica inferior. Foi implantado um</italic> stent <italic>no &#243;stio do tronco cel&#237;aco, com sucesso e sem complica&#231;&#245;es. Os sintomas regrediram j&#225; no 1&#186; p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio e a paciente permanece assintom&#225;tica um ano ap&#243;s o procedimento, que consideramos seguro, eficaz e poder&#225; se tornar o tratamento de escolha nesta doen&#231;a.</italic></p>
    <p>A isquemia mesent&#233;rica sintom&#225;tica est&#225; geralmente associada &#224; aterosclerose grave e difusa das art&#233;rias viscerais, sendo uma situa&#231;&#227;o cl&#237;nica infreq&#252;ente e de dif&#237;cil manejo. A cirurgia de revasculariza&#231;&#227;o apresenta alta morbi-mortalidade devido ao alto risco cir&#250;rgico. O implante percut&#226;neo de endopr&#243;teses &#233; uma op&#231;&#227;o efetiva e minimamente invasiva, ideal em pacientes com m&#250;ltiplas comorbidades.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Relato de Caso</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Mulher de 75 anos, com dor epig&#225;strica progressiva nos &#250;ltimos tr&#234;s meses, com in&#237;cio durante as refei&#231;&#245;es e al&#237;vio em 30 minutos, evoluindo com emagrecimento de 4Kg e impossibilitando alimenta&#231;&#227;o adeq&#252;ada. A paciente apresentava os diagn&#243;sticos cl&#237;nicos de cardiopatia isqu&#234;mica grave (comprometimento triarterial n&#227;o pass&#237;vel de tratamento invasivo), insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca grau III NYHA por disfun&#231;&#227;o sist&#243;lica ventricular esquerda, diabetes mellitus, insufici&#234;ncia renal cr&#244;nica e vasculopatia perif&#233;rica. Vinha em uso de digoxina 0,125 mg/dia, furosemide 80 mg/dia, espironolactona 25 mg/dia, losartan 100 mg/dia, glibenclamida 4 mg/dia, dinitrato de isossorbida 120 mg;dia, metoprolol 100 mg/dia, &#225;cido acetilsalic&#237;lico 100 mg/dia e sinvastatina 40 mg/dia.</p>
    <p>Os exames laboratoriais demonstraram anemia leve (Ht=33%, Hb=10,8 g/dl), comprometimento da fun&#231;&#227;o renal (creatinina= 1,5 mg/dl, ur&#233;ia=68mg/dl), eletr&#243;litos normais e glicemia jejum=123 mg/dl. Eletrocardiograma de repouso demonstrava ritmo sinusal, FC=64 bpm, padr&#227;o de sobrecarga ventricular esquerda com infradesnivelamento do segmento ST em deriva&#231;&#245;es V5 e V6. Radiografia de t&#243;rax demonstrava cardiomegalia sem sinais de congest&#227;o venocapilar pulmonar.</p>
    <p>A avalia&#231;&#227;o da dor epig&#225;strica foi realizada com endoscopia digestiva que foi normal e avalia&#231;&#227;o do gastroenterologista, com diagn&#243;stico de angina mesent&#233;rica severa. Angioresson&#226;ncia da aorta abdominal e de seus ramos foi realizada e demonstrou estenose de 80% na origem do tronco cel&#237;aco, estenose de 50% proximal na art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica superior, oclus&#227;o da art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica inferior e estenose de 70% na art&#233;ria renal direita. Indicada aortografia abdominal e arteriografia visceral com interven&#231;&#227;o no mesmo procedimento caso os achados da angioresson&#226;ncia f&#244;ssem confirmados.</p>
    <p>A paciente foi levada ao Laborat&#243;rio de Hemodin&#226;mica em boas condi&#231;&#245;es cl&#237;nicas, sem angina ou insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca. A art&#233;ria femural direita foi puncionada e aortografia abdominal realizada em proje&#231;&#227;o &#226;ntero-posterior e lateral esquerda com cateter <italic>pigtail</italic>, confirmando os achados da angioresson&#226;ncia: estenose de 70% na origem do tronco cel&#237;aco, estenose de 50% na origem da art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica superior e oclus&#227;o da art&#233;ria mesent&#233;rica inferior (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1">fig. 1</xref> e <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2">2</xref>). As art&#233;rias renais n&#227;o apresentavam estenoses significativas. Heparina 5.000 U foi administrada por via endovenosa e o tronco cel&#237;aco foi cateterizado seletivamente com um cateter-guia Veripath LIMA 7F e a estenose foi ultrapassada com fio-guia 0,014 in <italic>Guidant Extra Sport</italic>. Um <italic>stent</italic> Herculink 6,0 X 18 mm foi ent&#227;o posicionado no local, liberado e impactado com 18 ATM (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig3">fig. 3</xref>). Observou-se fluxo normal do vaso ao final do procedimento com estenose residual menor do que 10% (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig4">fig. 4</xref> e <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig5">5</xref>). A paciente deixou o laborat&#243;rio em boas condi&#231;&#245;es cl&#237;nicas e no primeiro p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio alimentou-se normalmente, sem dor abdominal. No seguimento cl&#237;nico em um ano ap&#243;s o procedimento a paciente permanece assintom&#225;tica, sem recidiva dos sintomas e com recupera&#231;&#227;o do seu peso normal.</p>
    <fig id="fig1">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf01.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="fig2">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf02.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="fig3">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf03.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="fig4">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf04.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="fig5">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf05.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>
      <bold>Discuss&#227;o</bold>
    </p>
    <p>A isquemia mesent&#233;rica cr&#244;nica causada por aterosclerose grave das art&#233;rias viscerais &#233; uma situa&#231;&#227;o cl&#237;nica incomum e geralmente acompanha-se de dor abdominal p&#243;s-prandial, emagrecimento e comprometimento ateroscler&#243;tico em outros territ&#243;rios vasculares<sup>1-8</sup>. As op&#231;&#245;es terap&#234;uticas s&#227;o limitadas, sendo que a cirurgia de revasculariza&#231;&#227;o tem alta morbidade e mortalidade, que variam entre 5 a 15%, mesmo em centros terci&#225;rios de refer&#234;ncia dedicados ao tratamento de doen&#231;as vasculares<sup>4,5</sup>. A revasculariza&#231;&#227;o percut&#226;nea por angioplastia com bal&#227;o ou implante de endopr&#243;tese &#233; uma op&#231;&#227;o atraente por ser um procedimento minimamente invasivo, ideal neste grupo de pacientes com m&#250;ltiplas comorbidades. A angioplastia com bal&#227;o tem sido utilizada no tratamento de estenoses nas art&#233;rias mesent&#233;rica superior, inferior e tronco cel&#237;aco h&#225; mais de uma d&#233;cada, com resultados sub&#243;timos provavelmente pela natureza ostial de muitas destas les&#245;es<sup>1,3,5,8</sup>. Angioplastia com bal&#227;o em les&#245;es ostiais est&#225; associada a estenoses residuais mais severas devido ao intenso recolhimento el&#225;stico provocado pelo grande n&#250;mero de fibras el&#225;sticas circulares presentes no &#243;stio, o que, por sua vez, est&#225; associado ao aumento de complica&#231;&#245;es (oclus&#227;o aguda) e de reestenose<sup>5,8</sup>.</p>
    <p>O implante de <italic>stents</italic> diminui estas complica&#231;&#245;es porque fornece um suporte met&#225;lico que impede o recolhimento el&#225;stico do vaso. Em virtude da baixa preval&#234;ncia desta doen&#231;a, a experi&#234;ncia cl&#237;nica com implante de <italic>stents</italic> em estenoses de art&#233;rias viscerais &#233; limitada, restrita a relatos de casos e s&#233;ries retrospectivas com pequeno n&#250;mero de pacientes<sup>3-9</sup>. Nesses estudos, o implante de <italic>stents</italic> esteve associado a menores taxas de complica&#231;&#245;es e de reestenose do que a angioplastia isolada com bal&#227;o<sup>1,3,8,10</sup> e menor morbidade quando comparado ao tratamento cir&#250;rgico convencional<sup>5</sup>. Os riscos deste procedimento s&#227;o pequenos, mas incluem emboliza&#231;&#227;o distal com piora da isquemia, s&#237;ndrome de reperfus&#227;o, embolia de colesterol para membros inferiores por manipula&#231;&#227;o de placas na aorta e dissec&#231;&#227;o a&#243;rtica em casos de estenoses ostiais.</p>
    <p>A paciente em quest&#227;o apresentava comprometimento ateroscler&#243;tico grave da vasculatura visceral e de outros territ&#243;rios vasculares (cardiopatia isqu&#234;mica grave, acidente vascular cerebral isqu&#234;mico pr&#233;vio, vasculopatia de membros inferiores), assim como descrito em v&#225;rios estudos de literatura<sup>1-8</sup>. O sintoma t&#237;pico de dor p&#243;s-prandial severa e incapacitante, juntamente com o achado de estenoses severas na angioresson&#226;ncia e investiga&#231;&#227;o diagn&#243;stica negativa para doen&#231;a p&#233;ptica, motivou a indica&#231;&#227;o preferencial de revasculariza&#231;&#227;o percut&#226;nea em virtude do alto risco cir&#250;rgico<sup>11</sup>. A evolu&#231;&#227;o ap&#243;s o procedimento foi excelente, com desaparecimento da dor no primeiro p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio e melhora do quadro cl&#237;nico global. A interven&#231;&#227;o somente na art&#233;ria com comprometimento ateroscler&#243;tico mais severo tem sido descrita como a abordagem preferencial no manejo desses pacientes<sup>7</sup>, sendo que a paciente que descrevemos permanece assintom&#225;tica um ano ap&#243;s o procedimento.</p>
    <p>Em conclus&#227;o, o implante de <italic>stents</italic> em art&#233;rias viscerais para o tratamento da angina mesent&#233;rica por comprometimento ater&#243;scler&#243;tico significativo destes vasos &#233; um procedimento eficaz e deve se tornar o tratamento de escolha nos pacientes, que geralmente apresentam m&#250;ltiplas comorbidades e alto risco cir&#250;rgico.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Refer&#234;ncias</bold>
    </p>
    <p>1. Pietura R, Szymanska A, El Furah M et al. Chronic mesenteric ischemia: diagnosis and treatment with balloon angioplasty and stenting. Med Sci Monit 2002; 8: PR8-PR12.</p>
    <p>2. Waybill P, Enea N. Use of a palmaz stent deployed in the superior mesenteric artery for chronic mesenteric ischemia. J Vasc Interv Radiol 1997; 8: 1069-1071.</p>
    <p>3. Faries P, Morrissey NJ, Teodorescu V et al. Recent advances in peripheral angioplasty and stenting. Angiology 2002; 53: 617-626.</p>
    <p>4. Sheeran SR, Murphy T, Khwaja A et al. Stent placement for treatment of mesenteric artery stenoses or occlusions. J Vasc Intervent Radiol 1999; 10: 861-67.</p>
    <p>5. Kasirajan K, O&#180;Hara PJ, Gray BH et al. Chronic mesenteric ischemia: open surgery versus percutaneous angioplasty and stenting. J Vasc Surg 2001; 33: 63-71.</p>
    <p>6. Steinmetz E, Tatou E, Favier-Blavoux C et al. Endovascular treatment as first choice in chronic intestinal ischemia. Ann Vasc Surg 2002; 16: 693-99.</p>
    <p>7. Nyman U, Ivancev K, Lindh M et al. Endovascular treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia: report of five cases. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 2000; 23: 410-2.</p>
    <p>8. Matsumoto AH, Angle JF, Spinosa DJ et al. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia: results and longterm follow-up. J Am Coll Surg 2002; 194: S22-31.</p>
    <p>9. Forauer AR, Gordon K. Primary stenting of the superior mesenteric artery for treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia: a case report. Angiology 1999; 50: 63-67.</p>
    <p>10. Gotsman I, Verstanding A. Intravascular stent implantation of the celiac artery in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia. J Clin Gastroent 2001; 32: 164-66.</p>
    <p>11. Fusman B, Jolly N, French M et al. Procedural outcome of percutaneous intervention on celiac or mesenteric arteries for the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia. Am J Cardiol 2002; 90: 64H.</p>
    <p>
      <fn id="back10" fn-type="corresp">
        <p>Endere&#231;o para correspond&#234;ncia</p>
        <p>Alexandre Schaan de Quadros </p>
        <p> Av. Ganzo, 677/602 </p>
        <p> Cep 90150-071 - Porto Alegre - RS </p>
        <p> E-mail: </p>
        <p>
          <email xlink:href="aquadros@cardiol.br">aquadros@cardiol.br</email>
        </p>
      </fn>
    </p>
    <p>Recebido para Publica&#231;&#227;o: 14/02/2003 </p>
    <p>Aceito em: 27/02/2004</p>
  </body>
  <sub-article article-type="translation" id="TRen" xml:lang="en">
    <front-stub>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Case Reports</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title xml:lang="en">Stent implantation in critical stenosis of the celiac trunk: enlarging the frontiers of percutaneous vascular intervention</article-title>
      </title-group>
    </front-stub>
    <body>
      <p>
        <bold>CASE REPORT</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Stent implantation in critical stenosis of the celiac trunk: enlarging the frontiers of percutaneous vascular intervention</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Alexandre Schaan de Quadros; Rog&#233;rio Sarmento-Leite; Cl&#225;udio Vasquez Moraes; Luis Maria Yordi </bold>
      </p>
      <p>Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil</p>
      <p>Hospital M&#227;e de Deus e Hospital Moinhos de Vento - Porto Alegre </p>
      <p>
        <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="back10-body2">Correspondence</xref>
      </p>
      <p>
        <italic>Symptomatic mesenteric ischemia usually associated with severe and diffuse atherosclerosis of the visceral arteries is a rare clinical situation, difficult to treat.</italic>
      </p>
      <p>
        <italic>We describe here the case of a 75-year-old woman with disabling mesenteric angina and stenosis of 80% in the origin of the celiac trunk, proximal stenosis of 50% in the superior mesenteric artery, and occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery. A stent was successfully implanted in the ostium of the celiac trunk, without complications. The symptoms reversed in the first postoperative day, and the patient has remained asymptomatic for one year after the procedure, which is considered safe and efficient and which may become the treatment of choice for this disease.</italic>
      </p>
      <p>Symptomatic mesenteric ischemia is usually associated with severe and diffuse atherosclerosis in the visceral arteries, and it is a rare clinical situation that is difficult to treat. Revascularization surgery has high morbidity and mortality due to the high surgical risk. Percutaneous implantation of endoprostheses is an effective minimally invasive choice, ideal for patients with several comorbidities.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Case Report</bold>
      </p>
      <p>A 75-year-old-female, with progressive epigastric pain in the prior 3 months, starting during meals and stopping after 30 minutes, evolved with progressive weight loss of 4kg, and was unable to eat properly. The patient had a clinical diagnosis of severe ischemic heart disease (triple-vessel disease without the possibility of invasive treatment), NYHA class III heart failure because of left ventricular systolic function, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and peripheral vascular disease. She was taking digoxin 0.125 mg/day, furosemide 80 mg/day, spironolactone 25 mg/day, losartan 100 mg/day, glibenclamide 4 mg/day, isosorbide dinitrate 120 mg/day, metoprolol 100 mg/day, acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg/day, and simvastatin 40 mg/day.</p>
      <p>Laboratory examination demonstrated mild anemia (Ht=33%, Hb=10.8 g/dL), renal function impairment (creatinine=1.5 mg/dL, urea=68mg/dL), normal electrolytes, and fasting glycemia=123 mg/dL. Electrocardiogram at rest demonstrated sinus rhythm, HR=64 bpm, left ventricular overload pattern with ST segment depression in leads V5 and V6. A chest X-ray demonstrated cardiomegaly without signs of pulmonary venocapillary congestion.</p>
      <p>Epigastric pain assessment was performed with digestive endoscopy, which was normal, and with the assessment of the gastroenterologist, severe mesenteric angina was diagnosed. Angio resonance of the abdominal aorta and its branches was performed and demonstrated stenosis of 80% in the origin of the celiac trunk, 50% proximal stenosis in the superior mesenteric artery, inferior mesenteric artery occlusion, and stenosis of 70% in the right renal artery. Abdominal aortography was indicated, as well as visceral arteriography, with intervention in the same procedure, in case the angiography scan findings were confirmed.</p>
      <p>The patient was taken to the hemodynamic laboratory in good clinical condition<strike>s</strike> , with neither angina nor heart failure. Puncture of the femoral artery and abdominal aortography were performed in anteroposterior projection and left lateral projection with a pigtail catheter, confirming the findings of the angiographic scan: 70% stenosis in the origin of the celiac trunk, 50% stenosis in the superior mesenteric artery, and occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1-body2">fig. 1</xref> and <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2-body2">2</xref>). Renal arteries did not have significant stenosis. Endovenous 5.000 U heparin was administered, and catheterization of the celiac trunk was selectively performed using a Veripath Lima 7F-guiding catheter (Guidant, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA). The stenosis was surpassed with a 0.014 ACS Hi-Torque Extra Sport guidewire (Guidant, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA). Once in place, a Herculink 6.0 X 18-mm biliary stent (Guidant/Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) was released and pushed against the artery wall by using 18 atm (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig3-body2">fig. 3</xref>). Normal flow was observed at the end of the procedure, with residual stenosis lower than 10% (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig4-body2">fig. 4</xref> and <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig5-body2">5</xref>). The patient left the laboratory in good condition, and in the first postoperative period, she could eat normally, without abdominal pain. In clinical follow-up, one year after the procedure, the patient remains asymptomatic, without recurrent symptoms and has returned to her normal weight.</p>
      <fig id="fig1-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf01-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="fig2-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf02-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="fig3-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf03-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="fig4-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf04-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="fig5-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-83-05-0442-00011-gf05-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>
        <bold>Discussion</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Chronic mesenteric ischemia caused by severe atherosclerosis of visceral arteries is a rare clinical situation, and it is usually followed by postprandial abdominal pain, weight loss, and atherosclerotic involvement in other vascular territory <sup>1-8</sup>. Therapeutic options are limited, and revascularization surgery has high morbidity and mortality, ranging from 5 to 15% even in referral university hospitals dedicated to the treatment of vascular diseases <sup>4,5</sup>. Percutaneous revascularization through balloon angioplasty or endoprostheses implantation is an attractive option because it is a minimally invasive procedure, which is ideal in this group of patients with multiple comorbidities. Balloon angioplasty has been used in the treatment of superior mesenteric artery stenosis, inferior mesenteric artery stenosis, and celiac trunk artery stenosis for over a decade, with suboptimal results probably because of the ostial nature of many of these lesions <sup>1,3,5,8</sup>. Balloon angioplasty in ostial lesions is associated with more severe residual stenosis due to the intense elastic recoil caused by the large number of circular elastic fibers in the ostium, which is, in turn, associated with the increase in complications (acute occlusion) and restenosis <sup>5,8</sup>.</p>
      <p>Stent implantation decreases these complications because it provides a metallic support that prevents the elastic recoil of the vessel. Because of the low prevalence of this disease, clinical experience with stent implantation in visceral artery stenosis is limited, restricted to case reports and retrospective studies with small number of patients <sup>3-9</sup>. In these studies, stent implantation was more often associated with lower complication and restenosis rates than was isolated balloon angioplasty<sup>1,3,8,10</sup> and lower morbidity when compared with that in traditional surgical treatment <sup>5</sup>. The risks of this procedure are small, but they include distal embolism with ischemia worsening, reperfusion syndrome, cholesterol embolism for inferior limbs through manipulation of the aortic plaques, and aortic dissection in cases of ostial stenosis.</p>
      <p>Our patient had severe atherosclerotic involvement of the visceral vessels and of other vascular territories (severe ischemic heart disease, previous stroke, inferior limb vascular disease), just as described in several studies in the literature <sup>1-8</sup>. The typical symptom of severe and disabling postprandial pain, and the finding of severe stenosis in the angiographic scan, and negative diagnostic investigation for peptic disease, encouraged a preferential indication for percutaneous revascularization due to the high surgical risk <sup>11</sup>. Follow-up was excellent, with pain relieved in the first postoperative period and improvement in the clinical picture. Intervention only in the artery with most severe atherosclerotic involvement has been described as the preferred approach for the management of these patients <sup>7</sup>, and the patient we have described remains asymptomatic at one-year follow-up.</p>
      <p>In conclusion, stent implantation in visceral arteries for the treatment of mesenteric angina due to significant atherosclerotic involvement of these vessels is an efficient procedure and should become the treatment of choice for these patients, who usually have several comorbidities and high surgical risk.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>References</bold>
      </p>
      <p>
        <fn id="back10-body2" fn-type="corresp">
          <p>Correspondence to</p>
          <p>Alexandre Schaan de Quadros</p>
          <p> Av. Ganzo, 677/602</p>
          <p> Cep 0150-071 - Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil</p>
          <p> E-mail: </p>
          <p>
            <email xlink:href="aquadros@cardiol.br">aquadros@cardiol.br</email>
          </p>
        </fn>
      </p>
      <p>Received for publication: 02/14/2003</p>
      <p>Accepted for publication: 02/27/2004</p>
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  </sub-article>
</article>
