Comparison of cryoplasty and conventional angioplasty for treating stenotic-occlusive lesions of the femoropopliteal arteries in diabetic patients: immediate, mid-term and long-term results.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compared the immediate, mid-term and long-term effectiveness of cryoplasty and conventional angioplasty for treating stenotic-occlusive lesions of the femoropopliteal arteries in diabetic patients.


METHODS
From October 2006 to November 2009, 48 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) and an indication for percutaneous revascularisation of the femoropopliteal arteries were randomly assigned to treatment with angioplasty or cryoplasty. The following parameters were analysed and compared between the two groups: immediate technical success (residual stenosis <30%) and distal run-off as assessed on postprocedural angiography, and degree of restenosis and distal run-off at 6 and 12 months, as assessed with either colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) or digital subtraction angiography (DSA).


RESULTS
Treatment with angioplasty revealed a significant superiority in procedural technical success (p=0.04), a significant reduction in the degree of restenosis at 6 months (p=0.02) and a significant increase in the distal run-off at 6 (p=0.005) and 12 (p=0.01) months.


CONCLUSIONS
Conventional angioplasty is more effective than cryoplasty for treating stenotic-occlusive lesions of the femoropopliteal arteries in diabetic patients and provides better immediate, mid-term and long-term results.
S.C.D.U Radiodiagnostica e Radiologia Interventistica, A.O.U. Maggiore della Carità, C.so Mazzini 18, 28100, Novara, Italy. rfossaceca@hotmail.com
R
R
Fossaceca
G
G
Guzzardi
M
M
Di Terlizzi
I
I
Divenuto
E
E
Malatesta
P
P
Cerini
C
C
Cusaro
A
A
Carriero
D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color