Percutaneous Vascular Stent Implantation as Treatment for Central Vascular Obstruction Due to Fibrosing Mediastinitis

Fibrosing Mediastinitis (FM) is a rare complication of infection with Histoplasma capsulatum that can lead to obstruction of pulmonary and systemic vasculature and large airways, often resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Medical therapy is ineffective, and surgical intervention is often not feasible. Stent implantation offers a potential treatment for vascular obstruction due to FM, but this has not been well studied. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for FM. Anatomic site of stenosis and hemodynamic information before and after intervention, as well as clinical presentation and follow-up data, were recorded. From 1996 to 2008, 58 patients underwent cardiac catheterization for FM, with intervention performed in 40 (69%). A total of 77 stents were used to relieve 59 lesions (pulmonary artery=26, pulmonary vein=21, and superior vena cava=12). Significant reduction in pressure gradients (P