ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and value of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in treating arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) of lower extremity that shows no visualization of its vascular outflow tract. Methods A total of 19 patients with ASO of lower extremities showing no outflow tract visualization were included in this study. The patients included 11 males and 8 females with a median age of 66 years (48-79 years. The main clinical symptom was rest pain of the leg in all patients; 10 cases had different degrees of foot ulcer and gangrene. Preoperative multi-slice CT angiography and DSA examination were performed in all patents. After PTA, the patients were followed up for 12 months, the changes of the clinical symptoms and signs were recorded. The claudication distance, toe skin temperature, ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe-brachial index (TBI), and CT angiography or color Doppler examination were separately performed before and one, 3, 6 and 12 months after PTA. Results In the 19 patients (38 diseased limbs in total), ASO with no visualization of vascular outflow tract was detected in 54 arteries, 3%), posterior tibial artery (n=18, 33.3%), peroneal artery (n=9, 16.7%) and popliteal artery (n=2, 3.7%). The technical success rate of limb PTA was 89.5%, while the technical success rate of single artery PTA was 85.2%. After PTA, the skin temperature of all the diseased limbs that had been successfully treated was obviously improved, the pain was significantly relieved or disappeared. One, 3, 6 and 12 months after PTA, the claudication distance, toe skin temperature, ABI and TBI were strikingly improved when compared with those determined before PTA (P<0.05). Twelve months after PTA the vascular restenosis rate was 39.5% (15/38), the limb vascular patency rate was 55.3% (21/38), and the limb salvage rate was 81.6%(31/38). Conclusion For the treatment of lower extremities arterial obliterans with obstructed outflow tract, PTA is safe and effective in short-term period. Although its long-term restenosis rate is higher, this technique can effectively control the progress of the disease, relieve the clinical symptoms, and help improve the limb salvage rate of ischemic limbs.