Spontaneous re-expansion of a collapsed thoracic endoprosthesis: Case report

A 43-year-old woman with a type B aortic dissection underwent insertion of a Zenith stent graft (Cook Inc, Bloomington, Ind). Chest pain developed 36 hours after the procedure. A computed tomography scan showed reopening of the false proximal lumen and almost complete device collapse. Because of hemodynamic stability and absence of signs of malperfusion, the patient was treated conservatively. A control computed tomography scan 7 days later showed full re-expansion of the endoprosthesis. This case illustrates that in extremely rare cases, spontaneous reexpansion of a collapsed thoracic endoprosthesis can occur after conservative management.