NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Contrary to growing concerns, the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms after implantation of drug-eluting stents is low, and when an aneurysm does occur the clinical course is usually favorable, according to a South Korean study.

Those findings are reported in the American Journal of Cardiology for November by Dr. Bum-Kee Hong of Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, and colleagues.

As the investigators note in the introduction to their paper, it is unclear if the incidence and natural history of coronary artery aneurysms associated with drug-eluting stents (DES) is similar to that seen with bare metal stents (BMS). The team therefore assessed the occurrence of coronary artery aneurysms in 3612 consecutive patients who underwent DES placement in 4419 lesions and who had follow-up angiography at 9-12 months or when clinically indicated.

All patients were advised to maintain lifelong use of aspirin and were treated with 75 mg clopidogrel daily for at least 12 months after stent implantation unless contraindicated.

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) were detected in 34 lesions of 29 patients (0.76% per lesion and 0.80% per patient), Dr. Hong and colleagues report, and the mean interval from DES implantation to CAA diagnosis was 414 days.