Local treatment during angioplasty.

Intracoronary thrombosis and post-angioplasty complications (acute occlusio n) are now controlled. Restenosis is the principal obstacle to transluminal coronary revascularisation. The conviction of the multifactorial and focal nature of the process leading to this excessive scarring is acquired. Cons trictive remodelling is now established as the main mechanism of restenosis . Failure to prevent restenosis by systemic therapy has led several groups to experiment local treatment for this problem. The object of this article is to review the different systems of local trea tment at the site of angioplasty. Even if some results are encouraging, the re is no solution as yet to the problem of restenosis. Although local thera py is possible, the agent(s) of choice remain(s) to be defined.