A case of lipid core plaque progression and rupture at the edge of a coronary stent: elucidating the mechanisms of drug-eluting stent failure.

Received October 20, 2009; accepted January 20, 2010. Understanding the mechanisms of coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) failure remains relevant in light of concerns brought on by clinical reports of life-threatening late and very late stent thrombosis and by autopsy studies showing delayed and incomplete healing inside the stents, which may be related to underlying necrotic lipid core.1 Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography, also known as optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI), is a new intracoronary imaging technology that enables 3-dimensional visualization of coronary structure in vivo at a resolution (≈6 μm) sufficient to identify many microscopic features of the coronary wall and stents.2 Here, we present a case of late DES failure that was imaged by OFDI at the time of stent implantation and 15 months later on presentation with unstable angina. The patient was a 52-year-old man with hypertension, dyslipidemia, a family history of coronary artery disease, and prior myocardial infarction in 1998. The patient presented again to the Lahey Clinic in 2007 (baseline), complaining of rest and exertional chest pain and with a positive stress test.2 Angiography revealed a 99% stenosis in the right coronary artery near the bifurcation of the posterior descending artery (Figure 1A). Deployment of a 3×18-mm sirolimus DES (Cypher Cordis, Miami, Fla) was performed with a good result (Figure 1B and 1C). The operators were blinded to the results of OFDI imaging. The patient was maintained on dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) and a statin. The patient returned 15 months later with symptoms of unstable angina. Diagnostic angiography was performed, followed by OFDI of the right coronary artery. The angiogram revealed a 95% right …