Late peripheral stent thrombosis due to stent fracture, vigorous exercise and hyporesponsiveness to clopidogrel

Late peripheral arterial stent thrombosis usually occurs due to haemodynamically relevant in-stent restenosis. However, late stent thrombosis may be multicausal. We report here the well-documented case of a 69-year-old man with acute thrombosis of the stented superficial femoral artery after a long-distance bicycle tour. Catheter-directed thrombolysis revealed a residual stenosis located at a stent fracture site. In addition, platelet function tests revealed an inadequate platelet response to clopidogrel. In conclusion, stent fracture, strenuous exercise and hyporesponsiveness to clopidogrel may have contributed to the development of late peripheral stent thrombosis.