“Guidezilla” extension catheter combined with balloon technique for treating pulmonary artery stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis

Abstract

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare systemic vasculitis of the aorta and its primary branches, which usually occurs in young women. Due to its insidious onset and lack of specific symptoms, this disease can be easily misdiagnosed or missed. Approximately 50 ​% of the patients having TA with pulmonary artery involvement develop pulmonary hypertension (PH). The 3-year survival rate among patients with TA-related PH is lower than that among patients with TA alone. Early balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) can improve the clinical symptoms and survival of patients with stable TA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the English literature in which a “Guidezilla” catheter was used during BPA to treat stenosis and occlusion of the pulmonary artery caused by Takayasu arteritis (TA).