[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in infrarenal aortic stenosis]

In a small subgroup of heavily-smoking young women the atherosclerotic lesion is confined to the infrarenal abdominal aorta. So far the management of these patients has been laparotomy with thrombendarterectomy of the aorta. Ten consecutive patients have been treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty PTA and in four patients stent implantation was performed. In two patients local haemorrhagic complications occurred, but no microembolization or thrombosis was noticed. All patients were controlled clinically and with blood pressure measurement. There was a rise in ankle systolic blood pressure from 63% to 96% compared to the systemic blood pressure and all patients were asymptomatic. It could be concluded that PTA of symptomatic stenosis of the infrarenal abdominal aorta is a minimal invasive treatment with a good long term result and should be the primary treatment in these patients.