PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY OF THE SUBCLAVIAN, AXILLARY ANDBRACHIOCEPHALIC ARTERIES - A STUDY OF 18 PATIENTS

The authors report the immediate and mid term results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of stenosis of the subclavian (16 cases), bra chiocephalic (1 case) and axillary arteries (1 case) in a series of 18 patients. These lesions were responsible for isolated ischaemia of th e arm in 6 cases, vertebrobasilar insufficiency in 6 cases and an asso ciation of the two presentations in 2 cases ; in 4 asymptomatic patien ts, the procedure was undertaken to maintain cerebral perfusion. A tec hnical success was obtained in all cases, with one femoral haematoma a nd one episode of transient visual disturbance, which were spontaneous ly regressive, as the only complications. The good results were sustai ned clinically at the end of follow-up (4 to 40 months, average 17.7 m onths) in 13 of the 14 patients who were followed up. The symptoms rec urred after 26 months in the final case which led to the diagnosis of restenosis which was successfully redilated.