Femoropopliteal artery: initial and 6-month results of color duplex US-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate color duplex ultrasonographic (US) guidance of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of femoropopliteal artery stenoses and occlusions.


METHODS
Twenty-four patients (11 women, 13 men; mean age, 65.0 years) with severe claudication, abnormal ankle-arm pressure indexes, and lesions in the superficial femoral or popliteal artery depicted at US underwent balloon PTA with US guidance. US findings were confirmed before and after PTA by means of intravenous digital subtraction angiography.


RESULTS
All of 22 segmental stenoses and three of four superficial femoral artery occlusions were successfully treated (in 23 patients). In three cases, a residual stenosis was detected after initial PTA, and PTA was repeated with a larger balloon catheter. Of the 21 patients followed up for 6 months, one had reocclusion and three had hemodynamically significant restenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of PTA with US guidance in short stenoses or occlusions of the femoral or popliteal artery are similar to those of PTA with fluoroscopic control.
Katzenschlager
R
R
Department of Medical Angiology, Internal Medicine II, University of Vienna, Austria.
Ahmadi
A
A
Minar
E
E
Koppensteiner
R
R
Maca
T
T
Pikesch
K
K
Stümpflen
A
A
Ugurluoglu
A
A
Ehringer
H
H
D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011150:Popliteal Artery; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color