STENT-GRAFT REPAIR OF MYCOTIC SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL-ARTERY ANEURYSM USING A PALMAZ STENT AND AUTOLOGOUS SAPHENOUS-VEIN

Developing endoluminal technology has permitted the management of sele cted aneurysms using stent-grafts, but the applicability and durabilit y of these new devices has not yet been proven. Standard treatment of mycotic aneurysms generally requires arterial ligation, excision and d ebridement, and autologous or extraanatomic synthetic bypass. A saphen ous vein-covered stent was used to exclude an expanding, mycotic, supe rficial femoral artery aneurysm in a critically ill patient. Although stent-graft exclusion was intended as a bridge to standard therapy, th e mass resolved, the superficial femoral artery remains patent, and th e patient is symptom-free at 1 year without further intervention. Addi tional experience is required to determine whether stent-grafts have a role in the management of mycotic aneurysms.