title: Preliminary observations on the need for control angiography after peripheral endovascular brachytherapy using a centering balloon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the need for completion angiography after endovascular femoropopliteal brachytherapy using a centering catheter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine consecutive patients (7 men; mean age 68 years, range 53-79) were enrolled in a double-blinded multicenter randomized trial of endovascular brachytherapy after femoropopliteal balloon angioplasty. All patients underwent postdilation angiography, after which the centering catheter was placed in the dilated segment. The patients were randomized and transferred to the radiotherapy unit; the centering catheter was inflated only in patients randomized to receive brachytherapy (18 Gy of gamma radiation delivered to the target site 2 mm from an iridium-192 source axis). Because the local ethics committee required angiography after any interventional procedure (not stipulated in the study protocol), our patients were taken back to the angiosuite for angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no complications of angioplasty or centering catheter introduction. In the 5 patients randomized to brachytherapy, the median inflation time of the centering catheter was 12.1 minutes (range 9.1-13.3). The completion angiogram following brachytherapy showed peripheral embolization in 2 patients and lesion recoil that required redilation in another; all the complications were confined to the treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three of 5 patients who received brachytherapy via a centering catheter demonstrated sequelae on postradiation angiography. Therefore, as in any other peripheral vascular intervention, completion angiography after brachytherapy seems to be essential in preventing delayed diagnosis of procedural complications.
authors: Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Johns Hospital, Salzburg, Austria. W.Hofmann@lks.at
authors: Wolfgang J
authors: WJ
authors: Hofmann
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kopp
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Kofler
authors: Ara
authors: A
authors: Ugurluoglu
authors: Dieter
authors: D
authors: Kogelnik
authors: Heinrich
authors: H
authors: Magometschnigg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D017130:Angioplasty; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007511:Ischemia / Q000532:radiotherapy; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D011150:Popliteal Artery
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes