Stent in thoracic aorta. Frontal coloured angiogram of a stent in the thoracic aorta of a 69-year-old patient. The stent is seen at centre (arrowed). It is a wire mesh used to treat stenosis (narrowing) of the artery, a condition caused by atheroma (fatty deposits on the inner wall). Treatment is usually by a surgical procedure known as an angioplasty, where the stent is inserted into the narrowed artery and then expanded to reopen the artery and ensure normal blood flow. This patient also has dorsal (front-to-back) curving of the spine (running down centre at left of stent), a condition known as kyphosis, causing a humped or bowed upper back.