[Intravascular ultrasound for support in percutaneous interventional treatment]

The potential of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as an adjunct to angiography was investigated in 54 interventional procedures (13 venous lesions, 41 arterial lesions: stent placement in 31, atherectomy in 7, balloon dilation in 6, thrombectomy in 5, placement of vena cava filters in 3, foreign body retrieval in 2 cases). IVUS offered additional information to angiography in 30 cases; the therapeutic concept was changed because of IVUS findings in 18 cases. Severity of dissections or stenoses was more accurately depicted by IVUS compared to angiography. IVUS allowed an exact measurement of vessel diameter and a correct positioning of stents and caval filters.