Below knee balloon angioplasty chronic critical limb ischemia

Nineteen patients presented with severe ischemic limbs were included in this study as well as twenty-two limbs. In three patients the procedure was performed on both sides. All patients faced arterial reconstructive procedures for limb salvage. Situations requiring limb salvage were defined as the presence of non-healing amputation sites or ulcers, rest pain or gangrene [Fontaine stages III and IV]. PTA for crural arteries alone was performed in 13 patients [45 arteries 62 PTAs] and in combination with the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries in 6 patients [12 arteries 19 PTAs]. Duplex sonography was done before and after PTA. Antegrade femoral artery puncture was performed for all patients. Patients were followed at regular clinic visits with the brachial index and treadmill. Technical success with at least one crural artery was achieved in 85% of cases, while the primary clinical success at 1 month, 2 and 3 months were 75, 72 and 68%, respectively. The cumulative clinical success after six months was 52% in patients with PTA of the crural arteries alone and 60% in patients with PTA of the crural arteries plus the femoral or the popliteal artery

Is Mr myelography an essential pulse sequence in MR imaging of the lumbosacral spine?

MRI has become the golden modality for imaging the lumbar spine in degenerative disease. Imaging of the intradural nerve root fibers represented the last weak point in MR studies when radiologist became uncertain whether the root is being compressed or not. The new pulse sequences aiming to visualize the intradural nerve root by strongly increasing the signal intensity of the surrounding CSF [i.e. MR radiculogram] should be included in lumbosacral MR studies to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the examination