Spontaneous peritoneal and retroperitoneal hemorrhage, rare serious complication following carotid angioplasty with stent

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has been accepted as a relatively safe and effective treatment modality for patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis. We report a rare case of 75-year-old male with spontaneous peritoneal and perirenal hemorrhage following carotid angioplasty with stent. Because this intraabdominal hemorrhage can cause delayed diagnosis and treatment due to vague symptoms and the lack of suspicion of the hemorrhage, and can induce fatal condition, physicians should be aware that the abdominal hemorrhage could occur as a rare but serious complication after CAS without puncture site problems or iatrogenic injury. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.