Treatment of aortic thrombosis with retrievable stent filter and thrombolysis: a case report

BACKGROUND: The retrievable stent filter (RSF) has been previously used for the treatment of vena cava thrombosis. In this study, the RSF was implanted to treat aortic thrombosis and then withdrawn. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-years-old woman presented with severe abdominal pain and fever. Computed tomography showed massive mural thrombosis in the thoracic and abdominal aorta complicated by portal venous thrombosis. The RSF was implanted, a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt was established and a thrombolytic catheter was inserted for portal vein thrombolysis. The aortic thrombus was successfully compressed and fixed without thrombosis. After 15 days, abdominal pain had ceased, the abdominal aortic thrombus was mostly dissolved and the RSF was retrieved. Catheter angiography confirmed the recovery of portal vein thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: The RSF was able to compress and fix aortic thrombus without the usual complications of stenting after removal.