Purpose: To report a successful case of pseudoaneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) caused by infected endocarditis treated with a covered stent.
Case report: A patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis and 2 months later a proximal SMA pseudoaneurysm was identified on computed tomography. Daptomycin was started on admission and continued for approximately 4 months until the inflammatory markers normalized, and then the SMA pseudoaneurysm was successfully excluded with a stent-graft and antibiotics were continued for 1 year after the procedure. There were no associated complications or recurrences at the 3-year follow-up.
Conclusion: Placing a covered stent with a full course of antibiotics before and after surgery may be a successful alternative to open surgery in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the SMA due to infective endocarditis.
Clinical impact: This case report reports a rare case of pseudoaneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery due to infective endocarditis, which was successfully treated with an overlapping stent and confirmed by complete imaging data at a three-year follow-up. This report suggests that endovascular treatment may be an alternative to open surgery in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery caused by infective endocarditis.
Keywords: Endovascular treatment/therapy; infective endocarditis; pseudoaneurysm; stent-graft; superior mesenteric artery.