Transcatheter coil embolization for patent ductus arteriosus in the elderly: Report of a case and review of the published work

Patent ductus arteriosus is the third most common congenital cardiovascular anomaly, however, it is rarely found in the elderly. We describe a case of patent ductus arteriosus in a 72-year-old woman in whom patent ductus arteriosus was successfully managed by transcatheter coil embolization. The patient had been diagnosed with a heart murmur for the first time 1 year earlier at the age of 71. She was asymptomatic but a continuous murmur was heard. Cardiac catheterization revealed migration of a catheter from the main pulmonary artery into the descending aorta through a patent ductus arteriosus and a significant step-up of oxygen saturation in the main pulmonary artery with a pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio of 1.68. Aortograms demonstrated a communication between the aorta and the pulmonary artery through a patent ductus arteriosus with a minimal diameter of 3.7 mm. Transcatheter coil embolization of the patent ductus arteriosus was successfully carried out with two 0.052-inch-diameter Gianturco coils. Doppler echocardiographic study confirmed no residual shunt in the main pulmonary artery after the procedure. Non-surgical transcatheter occlusion using coil embolization appears to be an effective and minimally invasive technique for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in the elderly.     

Percutaneous closure of the small patent ductus arteriosus using occluding spring coils

Objectives. This report summarizes our experience with the use of occluding spring coils to close the small patent ductus arteriosus.Background. Several patent ductus arteriosus occluders (most notably the Rashkind device) have been developed and studied. Occluding spring coils have been used to close abnormal vessels and vascular connections. We previously reported the use of occluding spring coils to close the small patent ductus arteriosus in a small group of patients. This report describes our series of patients having patent ductus arteriosus closure with occluding spring coils.Methods. Between June 1990 and June 1993, 30 patients underwent cardiac catheterization to have patent ductus arteriosus closure by occluding spring coils. Selection criteria were age >6 months and narrowest patent ductus arteriosus internal dimension ⪯3.0 mm by color flow imaging. Definitive selection was based on review of aortograms performed at catheterization. A 5.2F coronary catheter was used to deliver one or two standard occluding spring coils. A loop was delivered in the main pulmonary artery, and the remainder of the coil was delivered across the patent ductus arteriosus and into the aortic diverticulum. Patent ductus arteriosus closure was confirmed by aortography or color flow imaging, or both. Follow-up after coil placement occurred at 6 weeks and 6 months and included two-view chest radiography, echocardiography and color flow imaging.Results. Of the 30 patients, 29 had successful implantation by one (27 patients) or two (2 patients) occluding spring coils. Of these 29 patients, 19 had a clinically apparent and 10 had a silent patent ductus arteriosus. Average ductus minimal internal dimension was 1.7 mm (range 1.0 to 3.0). Complete closure of the ductus was confirmed in 27 patients by aortography or color flow imaging or both (in 24 within 4 h, in 2 after 6 weeks and in 1 after 6 months). Six weeks after implantation, two patients had a tiny residual patent ductus arteriosus noted on color flow imaging. One patient did not have successful implantation. This patient had a 3.2-mm ductus, and two coils migrated to the distal left pulmonary artery and could not be retrieved. There were no deaths or any significant complications noted during early or late follow-up in these patients.Conclusions. Occluding spring coils may have additional application in closing the small patent ductus arteriosus.     

Transcatheter management of patent ductus arteriosus in sick ventilated small infants

BACKGROUND: Large patent ductus arteriosus can present in infancy with congestive cardiac failure and superadded pulmonary infection can necessitate mechanical ventilation. Surgical intervention is traditionally indicated for this subset of patients. We present our experience of transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in such infants. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five infants weighing between 960 gm and 4.1 kg, aged between 17 days and 3 1/2 months were mechanically ventilated because of congestive cardiac failure with pneumonia. Echocardiography showed patient ductus arteriosus with a size of 1.8 to 4.2 mm and adequate ampulla. Bioptome-assisted coil delivery was done and successful patient ductus arteriosus closure was achieved in all. There were two instances of embolization of coils with successful retrieval and redeployment. All infants could be weaned off mechanical ventilation over the next 24-72 hours. A pre-term infant developed a Doppler gradient of 25 mmHg in the descending aorta that decreased to 12 mmHg five months later. There was no significant obstruction to pulmonary artery flow in any child. At three months follow-up, all the five infants were asymptomatic with no residual flow across the patient ductus arteriosus. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter coil closure of moderate to large patent ductus arteriosus is possible in sick ventilated infants weighing below 5 kg. It may be a better alternative to surgery in selected cases in view of minimal morbidity.     

Does ductal occlusion with the gianturco coil cause left pulmonary artery and/or descending aorta obstruction?

Thirty-two patients (median age 4.5 years) underwent transcatheter Gianturco coil occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed the day after coil placement and at intermediate follow-up (median 8.6 months). Echocardiographic results were compared with angiographic and hemodynamic data obtained during catheterization. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography performed the day after ductal occlusion displayed evidence of coil protrusion into the left pulmonary artery in 28 of 31 patients (90%) and into the descending aorta in 17 of 29 (59%). However, pulsed Doppler analysis demonstrated normal left pulmonary arterial flow velocities in 28 of 29 patients (97%) and normal descending aortic flow velocities in 26 of 27 (96%). Pulse Doppler results were corroborated by angiographic and hemodynamic catheterization data, which showed no evidence of adjacent vessel obstruction. Peak Doppler velocities among patients with and without 2D echocardiographic left pulmonary artery or descending aorta coil impingement did not differ significantly. The discrepancy between 2D and pulse Doppler findings did not change significantly at intermediate follow-up. Thus, transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus with properly implanted Gianturco coils does not cause significant obstruction to flow in the left pulmonary artery or descending aorta despite frequently misleading 2D echocardiographic images of coil impingement on these vessels.     

Real-time Doppler color flow mapping for detection of patent ductus arteriosus

In this study, ultrasound Doppler color flow mapping systems were utilized to examine flow in the pulmonary artery in 31 premature and term infants (aged 4 hours to 9 months) with patent ductus arteriosus accompanying respiratory distress syndrome, as an isolated lesion, or with patent ductus in association with other cyanotic or acyanotic congenital heart disorders. The flow mapping patterns were compared with those of a control population of 15 infants who did not have patent ductus arteriosus. In unconstricted ductus arteriosus, the flow from the aorta into the pulmonary artery was detected in late systole and early diastole and was distributed along the superior leftward lateral wall of the main pulmonary artery from the origin of the left pulmonary artery back in a proximal direction toward the pulmonary valve. In constricted patent ductus arteriosus, or especially in a ductus in association with cyanotic heart disease, the position of the ductal shunt in the pulmonary artery was more variable, often directed centrally or medially. Waveform spectral Doppler sampling could be performed in specific positions guided by the Doppler flow map to verify the phasic characteristics of the ductal shunt on spectral and audio outputs. Shunts through a very small patent ductus arteriosus were routinely detected in this group of infants, and right to left ductal shunts could also be verified by the Doppler flow mapping technique. This study suggests substantial promise for real-time two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic flow mapping for evaluation of patent ductus arteriosus in infants.     

Arterial duct closure with detachable coils: application in the small child

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus using controlled-release coils was performed in 16 patients weighing < 10 kg. No embolization occurred. Procedure-related complications occurred in 3 patients (18.8%): massive femoral hemorrhage in 1 and femoral artery thrombosis in 2. The ductus recanalized in 1 of them because of mechanical hemolysis caused by streptokinase treatment. This was the only patient who underwent another occlusion procedure. Complete occlusion was achieved in 7 patients (43.8%) immediately, in 13 (81.2%) the following day, and in all 15 patients who had completed the 6-month follow-up. During follow-up, flow velocities between the left and the main pulmonary arteries and between the descending and the ascending aortae did not differ significantly. Flow velocity was > 2 m x sec(-1) in 3 patients in the left pulmonary artery and in 1 in the descending aorta. Protrusion of the coil was seen in 3 of these patients. Flow velocity was also high in the main pulmonary artery in the 4th patient. In conclusion, coil occlusion of ductus arteriosus is feasible in the small child, but no more than half a loop of the coil should be left at the pulmonary site. High flow velocity does not always mean obstruction.     

New serial contrast technique for assessment of left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus in the neonate

A new serial echocardiographic contrast technique for detection of patent ductus arteriosus has been developed and validated by clinical course (33 infants), surgical observations (13 infants) and autopsy observations (4 infants). A left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus was demonstrated in 30 of 33 prospectively studied premature infants (mean weight 1,371 g) using this new contrast method. The demonstration of left to right ductal shunting was accomplished by hand injection of a nonviscous material (saline solution, 5 percent dextrose in water or the patient's own blood) through an umbilical arterial catheter placed with its tip located above the diaphragm during recording of a suprasternal notch echocardiogram. In positive studies, both the transverse aortic arch and right pulmonary artery were opacified. If no left to right shunt existed, only the transverse aortic arch was opacified.This serial study helped elucidate the natural history of patent ductus arteriosus. Twenty-four of the 30 patients with a positive study initially had a left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus without an audible murmur. Three of these patients with silent patent ductus arteriosus later had congestive heart failure and two required operative ligation of the patent ductus. The high rate of detection of silent patent ductus arteriosus and its bedside confirmation when suspected are important in the serial management of critically ill newborns with this condition. The test is safe and sensitive and it is useful for early demonstration of silent patent ductus arteriosus, for clarifying the origin of murmurs and for confirming spontaneous, operative or pharmacologie closure of a patent ductus arteriosus.     

Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus: A comparative study between occluding coils and the Rashkind umbrella device

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in comparison to our experience with the Rashkind umbrella device. Transcatheter coil closure of the patent ductus arteriosus has been reported with encouraging results. We present our experience with ducti up to 5.0 mm in diameter and report the short-term follow-up. We compare the results with our previous experience with the Rashkind umbrella device. Seventy-one patients underwent transcatheter coil closure. Median age was 3.1 years, and median weight was 13.6 kg. Mean ductus diameter was 2.0 ± 1.1 mm. These were compared with 105 patients who underwent transcatheter closure using a single Rashkind umbrella device. The median age was 3.2 years and the median weight was 14.0 kg. The mean ductus diameter for this group was 2.1 ± 0.6 mm. The ductus murmur in the coil group disappeared in all patients. Immediate (≤24 h), complete closure was achieved in 89% of the coil group as compared to 71% for the Rashkind umbrella device group (P < 0.005). Closure rate for the coil group was 97% at the 6-month follow-up, vs. 82% for the Rashkind umbrella device group at the 6–12-month follow-up (P ≤ 0.05). In almost all patients requiring more than one coil, the ductus was crossed serially from the aortic end. All patients with ductus diameter ≥3.0 mm required two or more coils. Eleven coils in six patients embolized to the pulmonary arteries. All coils except one were retrieved with subsequent successful coil placement. Sixty-seven patients (94%) in the coil group were discharged in ≤24 h. Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus using multiple coils is a more effective technique than the Rashkind umbrella closure and has excellent short-term results. This can be performed safely as an outpatient procedure. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Transcatheter closure of a calcified patent ductus arteriosus in an elderly man

Successful transcatheter closure of a calcified patent ductus arteriosus was performed in a symptomatic 78 year old man. Cardiac catheterization revealed a left to right shunt across the patent ductus arteriosus with a pulmonary to systemic flow ratio of 2.8:1. Calcification of the ductus and severe lung disease increased the risk of surgical patent ductus arteriosus closure. A 17 mm Rashkind double umbrella was positioned in the ductus percutaneously by way of the femoral vein. After closure of the ductus there was marked hemodynamic improvement and the patient was discharged with improved exercise tolerance. Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus may be a viable option for the elderly patient too sick to withstand cardiovascular surgery.     

Embolization of Gianturco coil into the pulmonary artery requiring emergency surgical intervention

We report the case of a 20-month-old girl who underwent Gianturco coil embolization to a patent ductus arteriosus in May 1997. The coil migrated to the pulmonary artery. After unsuccessful attempts to retrieve it with snares and forceps, we engaged the coil with an end-hole balloon catheter and pulled it down to the right ventricle. There it became entangled in the tricuspid valvular apparatus and could not be moved farther. Due to concerns about sequelae, the patient was referred for surgery. Following a mid-sternotomy under cardiopulmonary bypass, we removed the coil and ligated the patent ductus arteriosus. The patient made an uneventful recovery. A brief review of the literature is presented.     

Acute intravascular hemolysis after complete occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus by detachable coils

A case of acute intravascular haemolysis after complete occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus by detachable coils in a 10 months old child is reported. The child had a patent ductus arteriosus, a small secundum atrial defect, mild valvular pulmonary stenosis, and stenosis of branches of the pulmonary artery not diagnosed before closure of the ductus. Haemolysis developed several hours after complete occlusion of the ductus by two detachable coils. The mechanism of the haemolysis was thought to be the presence of metallic spirals in the left pulmonary artery, just beyond stenosis situated at the origin of this artery. Simple balloon dilatation of the left pulmonary artery stenosis resulted in the complete regression of haemolysis.     

Transcatheter closure of wide, patent ductus arteriosus in an adult patient with severe pulmonary hypertension-a case report

A case of a 49-year-old female with patent ductus arteriosus complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension is presented. The patent ductus arteriosus was successfully closed by the Amplatzer duct occluder. The physical capacity improved from functional NYHA class III at baseline to class I one month after the procedure. A significant reduction of systolic blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and pulmonary resistance was also observed. Indications for transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension are discussed.     

Radiographic characteristics of Cook detachable and Gianturco coils as well as clinical results of transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus

PURPOSE: To describe the radiographic appearance of the Gianturco and the Cook detachable coils and present the clinical results in patients who underwent transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1994 and June 1997, eighty-two patients underwent closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using either Gianturco or Cook detachable coils. The chest x-ray and echocardiography of all patients were reviewed and the following parameters were evaluated: 1) the size of the heart (cardiothoracic ratio), 2) the position and the type of the coils in the postero-anterior and the lateral projection, 3) the number of coils used, 4) the existence of residual ductal flow, 5) Doppler velocity in the left pulmonary artery. RESULTS: Complete occlusion was achieved in 94%, and cardio-thoracic ratio regressed from 0.57 to 0.53 (p < 0.01), after a mean follow-up of 1.2 years. The identification of the different coils on the chest radiograph was successful in only 47% of cases, difficulties arising especially, when multiple coils were used. In 55 patients (67%) the coil position was judged to be optimal, in 27 patients (33%) suboptimal. The latter correlates with the presence of residual shunt. Multiple coils correlated more with a left pulmonary artery flow velocity exceeding 1.5 m/s. CONCLUSION: Coil-occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus is effective and leads to reduced cardio-thoracic ratio. Radiographic coil identification is possible but may be difficult if multiple coils are deployed. Suboptimal coil position led more often to residual PDA shunt. Multiple coils are more commonly associated with increased LPA velocities, but hemodynamic significant obstruction to flow is rare.     

Successful transcatheter coil occlusion of a right-sided patent ductus arteriosus with aberrant left subclavian artery

Right aortic arch is a relatively rare congenital anomaly. The combination of a right aortic arch, a right patent ductus arteriosus, and an aberrant left subclavian artery in a child with an otherwise structurally normal heart is very uncommon. We report the successful transcatheter coil occlusion of a right-sided patent ductus arteriosus in a child with the above-mentioned anatomy. To our knowledge, such a case has not been reported in the English-language medical literature to date.     

Color Doppler and transesophageal echocardiography of vascular sling

Summary Three patients with vascular sling were studied by two-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiography and angiocardiography. One case was associated with atrial septal defect and another with tetralogy of Fallot and patent ductus arteriosus. The third case had no associated intracardiac anomalies. Color Doppler flow mapping was performed in all three patients, and transesophageal echocardiography was studied in two patients.Color Doppler echocardiography showed the characteristic features of this congenital anomaly in all three patients, especially in detecting the site of anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery. A small patent ductus arteriosus was misinterpreted as the normal left pulmonary artery in one patient. Small pulmonary arteries in the patient with tetralogy of Fallot made the diagnosis difficult. Using transesophageal echocardiography, we clearly identified the trachea, esophagus, and abnormal left pulmonary artery.     

Transcatheter treatment of "pulmonary artery hypertension" due to patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery stenosis

The association between large, left-sided patent ductus arteriosus and severe, peripheral, right pulmonary artery stenosis with no other cardiac malformation is an unreported condition that might be misdiagnosed as pulmonary hypertension due to long-standing ductal shunt. A 57-year-old man with supposed hypertensive patent ductus arteriosus underwent confirmatory cardiac catheterization. At angiography, a severe pre-hilar right pulmonary artery stenosis (peak pressure gradient, 65 mmHg) was found to complicate the hemodynamic picture of a moderate-to-large patent ductus arteriosus (QP/QS, 1.7:1), by causing pulmonary hypertension (mean pressure, 65 mmHg) and left-to-right pulmonary flow imbalance. Both lesions were treated in a single procedure of right pulmonary artery stenting and patent ductus arteriosus closure, after which the pulmonary artery pressure significantly decreased (mean, 35 mmHg). In our opinion, a thorough hemodynamic evaluation followed by pulmonary angiography should be mandatory before proceeding to patent ductus arteriosus closure in the adult patient who has "hypertensive" ductus, in whom possible associated malformations can be missed due to a poor echocardiographic window.     

Prevalence of additional cardiovascular anomalies in patients referred for transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus

Catheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus is now a reality. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of associated cardiovascular defects and the accuracy of echocardiography in patients referred for transvenous ductal closure. This study reviewed 146 patients seen from 1981 to 1988: 126 with only a patent ductus arteriosus (Group I) and 20 with additional cardiovascular anomalies (Group II). Groups I and II did not differ significantly in age, gender or physical examination except for the presence of a continuous murmur (Group I 100% versus Group II 80%, p less than 0.001). A left patent ductus arteriosus was visualized by two-dimensional echocardiography in 96% of patients and was evident by Doppler study in 100%. A patent ductus arteriosus was not seen in six patients including a patient who was found to have only a collateral network from the aorta to the main pulmonary artery. The 12 patients with noncardiovascular abnormalities such as Down's syndrome were more likely than the overall group to have additional cardiovascular anomalies (6 of 12, p = 0.001). The cardiovascular anomalies encountered were varied. Eight of the 20 patients with such anomalies had only a restrictive ventricular septal defect in addition to the patent ductus arteriosus. Significant anomalies found at catheterization included two thoracic arteriovenous malformations and an isolated right carotid artery draining into the right pulmonary artery by way of a right ductus arteriosus. This study indicates that echocardiography is an effective diagnostic technique in this patient group. A thorough cardiac catheterization with angiography should be performed before implantation of a ductal device.     

Echocardiographic diagnosis of infectious endocarditis on patent ductus arteriosus with involvement of the pulmonary artery and the pulmonary and aortic semilunar valves. Description of a case

Infective endocarditis is one of the most rare complications of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Usually vegetations are localised at the level of the patent ductus and can involve the left branch and the trunk of the pulmonary artery. We report the case of a young woman with PDA, who was admitted to the hospital in severe congestive heart failure due to infective endocarditis. A 2D echocardiographic examination revealed vegetations into the ductus with extension to the pulmonary artery, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. The results of the echocardiographic study enabled us to evaluate the extension of the lesions, to avoid heart catheterization and to decide the most suitable surgical approach for repairing all the damage in one surgical operation.     

Reactivity of the ductus arteriosus: Implications for transcatheter therapy.

We report our experience in a 13-month-old boy undergoing transcatheter coil occlusion of a patent ductus arteriosus. Constriction of the ductus arteriosus with subsequent relaxation resulted in inadvertent coil embolization. This case report and review of the literature have implications for transcatheter treatment of persistent ductus arteriosus.     

Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus occlusion: Application in the small child

Objectives. This study intended to evaluate application of transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus in children <10 kg body weight.Background. Transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus in the child weighing > 10 kg has been proved safe and effective.Methods. We reviewed 74 consecutive patients weighing <10 kg (median 8.1 kg, range 3.98 to 10) and aged 4 to 30 months (median 13 months) who underwent patent ductus arteriosus occlusion between June 1986 and November 1992. A modification of the delivery system to facilitate application in small children is described.Results. A 12-mm devies was implanted in 50 patients and a 17-mm device in 24. Three device embolizations occurred early in the experience, and one required removal because of hemolysis associated with a moderate residual shunt. One 17-mm device was removed at catheterization because of acute compromise to left pulmonary artery flow after implantation. Prevalence of residual shunting was 33% at 6 months, 20% at 12 to 18 months and 17% at 2-year follow-up and was not related to device, age, weight or size of the patent ductus. Altered flow to the left pulmonary artery was noted in seven patients (9.9%), with more significant compromise associated with the 17-mm device.Conclusions. Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus occlusion is feasible in the small child <10 kg, particularly with like use of a modified delivery system. However, implantation of a 17-mm device in this patient population may impair flow to the left lung and should be reserved for the symptomatic child.