Viabahn stent extrusion into the airway in association with nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Carotid blowout syndrome is a rare condition where blood extravagates from the carotid artery due to vessel damage. Frequently, this is an emergency that needs to be treated by endovascular stent deployment. Rarely, these stents erode through the blood vessel wall and extrude into the airway or oropharynx. Here, we present the case of a 48-year-old male with a history of nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma that had a Viabahn stent placed due to carotid blowout. Six months later, the stent was extruded into the airway and the patient coughed up the stent. The patient remained asymptomatic during stent extrusion and a computerized tomography angiography demonstrated cessation of flow in the carotid artery. This is a rare but serious side effect of stent placement in the setting of nasopharyngeal cancer and carotid blowout syndrome. Keywords: Viabahn, Extravasation, Carotid blowout, Nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, Airway extrusion