title: Management of arterial occlusive disease following radiation therapy.
abstract: Clinically significant arterial occlusive disease developed in 26 patients at between 5 months and 44 years (mean(s.d.) 10.7(12.0) years) following radiation therapy. Therapeutic radiation was associated with lesions of the carotid artery (nine patients), subclavian-axillary arteries (seven) and the abdominal aorta and its branches (10). Clinical presentations included transient ischemic attack, stroke, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, carotid bruit, upper- or lower-extremity ischemia and renovascular hypertension. Surgery for cerebrovascular insufficiency included carotid endarterectomy with vein patch, interposition grafting or subclavian-to-carotid bypass. Carotid or subclavian-to-axillary bypass was performed for upper-extremity ischemia. A combination of endarterectomy and Dacron or saphenous vein grafts was used for infrarenal reconstruction. Tunnels were placed orthotopically. Musculocutaneous flaps assisted in healing selected wounds. Ureteral catheters were useful adjuncts in abdominal vascular reconstructions. There were no operative deaths, strokes or amputations. One patient had recurrent transient ischemic attacks following subclavian-to-carotid bypass. The mean(s.d.) postoperative follow-up was 48.1(39.6) months. Patients presenting with end-organ ischemia following radiation therapy can be managed successfully with aggressive surgical revascularization using a broad spectrum of reconstructive techniques.
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph Medical Center, Burbank, Calfornia, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andros
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dulawa
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Oblath
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Salles-Cunha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001366:Axillary Artery; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013348:Subclavian Artery; D013997:Time Factors