title: Clinical and ultrasonic long-term results of percutaneous transluminal carotid angioplasty. A prospective follow-up of 30 carotid angioplasties.
abstract: Experience of the long-term outcome of patients treated with carotid balloon angioplasty is limited. Therefore, we prospectively analyzed the ultrasonic and clinical features of 29 patients with complete follow-up data beyond 24 months, evaluated from 1989 through 1996 from our carotid angioplasty cohort of 106 patients. Mean follow-up time was 33 months. For up to 78 months postangioplasty, 23 patients with 24 angioplasties (77%) had no further neurological sequelae. Single ipsilateral amaurosis fugax or TIA events occurred in 3 patients. Recurrent ipsilateral amaurosis fugax or TIA events were noted twice in 2 patients. No patient suffered an ipsilateral stroke. Fifteen angioplasties (50%) remained with normal ultrasound (stenosis < 50%), mild restenosis (50-70%) occurred in 12 angioplasties (40%), and severe restenosis (> 70%) in 3 angioplasties (10%). Only in 2 of 15 patients clinical complications were related to the occurrence of ipsilateral restenosis above 50%. Until now, rigorous and careful evaluation of patients and clinical and ultrasonic follow-up have been essential for the estimation of the long-term efficacy of carotid angioplasty. It should be noted that carotid angioplasty is a new technique in evolution, with a high potential improving the technical results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. schoser@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Schoser
authors.forename: V U
authors.initials: VU
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeumer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex