A slice in the right direction – Novel use of directional atherectomy for treatment of upper limb vascular insufficiency and concurrent diagnosis

Large-vessel vasculitides are well-recognized entities, affecting the aorta, supra-aortic branch vessels, cranial vessels, and less commonly, peripheral arteries. Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is one of the most frequent large-vessel vasculitides affecting elderly patients. Despite diagnostic criteria, the mainstay of definitive diagnosis has been temporal artery biopsies. More recently, adjuvant ultrasound has been used to identify skip lesions before the biopsy. Downstream ischemia affecting branch vessels has traditionally been managed by open revascularization due to patient age and risk of disease recurrence. Experience with endovascular strategies for the management of acute or chronic vasculitides has been steadily increasing. We present an unusual case of acute giant cell vasculitis, diagnosed and treated with the use of an endovascular atherectomy device. The patient was a 74-year-old woman, with prior history of polymyalgia rheumatica, long-standing immunosuppression, and new onset of significant left arm claudication and rest pain. She underwent treatment for a high-grade left axillary artery lesion with directional atherectomy and drug-coated angioplasty. She had a good angiographic result. The intraoperative atherectomy specimen revealed the presence of acute GCA which prompted treatment with an acute vasculitis regimen. She had good patency of the treated segment at 3-month follow-up with complete resolution of her symptoms.