The use of endovascular stents in the treatment of penetrating ulcers of the thoracic aorta.

Penetrating atheromatous ulcers of the aorta are increasingly recognized as a distinct entity. Although their natural history remains ill-defined, such ulcers may lead to pseudoaneurysmal formation, dissection, rupture, or embolization. Given the morbidity associated with open repair, endovascular repair of penetrating atheromatous ulcers may be the treatment of choice. Although stent-graft replacement of acute aortic dissections has recently been described, endovascular repair of penetrating thoracic aortic ulcers has not previously been reported. We report two cases of successful endovascular repair of penetrating atheromatous ulcers that previously ruptured.