[Pathomorphologic changes in the arterial wall following x-ray endovascular dilatation in chronic ischemia of the...

Intravital and postmortem (7 and 14 cases, respectively) x-ray endovascular dilatation of the limb arteries studied morphologically is shown to induce traumatic lesion of the vascular wall presenting with plaque cracking and detachment, disintegration of the cover, necrosis of smooth muscle cells. A clear-cut change of the plaque size was not recorded. Vascular dilatation at the site of stenosis treated by the balloon may be caused mainly by the plaque cracks and detachment from the vessel wall entailing partial recovery of its elasticity. Mechanical aftereffects of the balloon introduction noted morphologically involve also smoothing of convolution of the internal elastic membrane and the absence of the typical vascular superficial microrelief.