title: Clinical results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for thromboangiitis obliterans in arteries above the knee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to retrospectively investigate whether percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is efficacious and safe for the treatment of atypical thromboangiitis obliterans (ATAO) in arteries with occlusion of long segments.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2011 to July 2013, 9 consecutive male patients with ATAO involving the external iliac and superficial femoral arteries were treated by PTA alone, without stent placement. Their mean age was 35 years (range, 24-47 years). Preoperative symptoms included severe claudication (n = 2), ischemic pain at rest (n = 4), and ischemic ulcers (n = 3). No any infrapopliteal interventions were performed besides the proximal intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success using PTA was achieved in 100% of cases with occluded arteries, and there were no periprocedural complications. Clinical improvement was observed postoperatively with a significant improvement in Rutherford categories (range, 2-3) and significantly increased ankle-brachial indexes, from 0.59 ± 0.14 to 0.91 ± 0.17 (p < 0.01). Ischemic ulcers in three patients healed 3-5 months postoperatively. No recurrent ischemic ulcer was observed, and no amputation was performed in these patients. At follow-up examination (average, 20.9 months), restenosis of the superficial femoral artery was diagnosed in only one patient who continued with a conservative medication regimen and refused additional interventional treatment because his physical symptoms were minor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTA might be feasible and safe for the treatment of ATAO patients, and appears to provide positive clinical results at an average follow-up of 20.9 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: liangxiyuannau@163.com.
authors.forename: Liangxi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: junminbao@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Junmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: zhiqingzhaooah@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhiqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: qingshengluul@163.com.
authors.forename: Qingsheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: xiangfenggne@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, PR China. Electronic address: xueguankyy@163.com.
authors.forename: Zaiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017130:Angioplasty; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000473:pathology; D007717:Knee / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Atypical thromboangiitis obliterans (ATAO); Endovascular treatment; Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty