title: [Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the vascular area of the lower limbs. Current indications].
abstract: Usual indications for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the vascular district of the lower limbs are single stenoses, short multiple stenoses and obstructions--shorter than 8 cm--in Fontaine's stage II, III and IV patients. Our experience is based on 642 PTAs carried out for obliterative arteriopathy of the lower limbs over a 6-year period. In agreement with the literature, we believe that today these indications can be extended to "limb salvage", to chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions longer than 8 cm and of a duration of less than one year, treated also with loco-regional fibrinolysis, and to asymptomatic lesions. Our series of patients include 15 treatments for "limb salvage", 21 chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions and 5 cases with bilateral lesions. The latter were treated with PTA only on the symptomatic side: later angiographic controls demonstrated a progressive deterioration only on the asymptomatic side. Immediate results were positive in 86% of the "limb salvage" cases and in 85% of the chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions. The advantages are discussed of PTA in the above-mentioned cases, paying also attention to the cost-benefit ratio.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Radiologia, Università degli Studi, Perugia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corneli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lemmi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mosca
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
vernacular_title: L'angioplastica transluminale percutanea del distretto vascolare degli arti inferiori. Indicazioni attuali.