We report a case of everolimus-eluting stent restenosis caused by neoatherogenesis. Optical coherence tomography indicated the presence of a superficial arch with high optical intensity in the in-stent mid-segment, followed by significant signal attenuation, with poorly defined borders, indicating the presence of lipid infiltration and/or necrotic core, similar to that observed in de novo coronary lesions. Signs suggesting macrophage/foam cell infiltration were observed inside the fibrous cap, indicating the presence of local inflammatory activity. The development of new in-stent atherosclerosis at the site of a pre-existing neointimal tissue (neoatherosclerosis) was recently identified as an additional cause of coronary stent failure. The present report is one of the first to demonstrate the finding of neoatherosclerosis as a second generation drug-eluting stent failure.
Coronary artery disease; Coronary restenosis; Angioplasty; Drug-eluting stents
