PERIPHERAL EMBOLIZATION OF A STAINLESS-STEEL COIL

The Gianturco stainless steel coil was introduced in 1975 for pretreatment embolic occlusion of large arteries. Many reports attest to the successful use of the device. As the use of the steel coil increased, undesirable complications began to appear. Difficulties in selective placement of the coil in the renal artery were reported by Wallace et al. in 1976. Failure to permanently occlude the arteries was recently reported. One of the most feared complications of the use of any embolic material is the reflux of embolic material and lodging of the embolizing particles in distal peripheral vessels, distal embolization of a steel coil has not previously been described in the English literature. A case in which peripheral embolization occurred into the distal common femoral artery from a coil placed into the left renal artery is reported.