Pre-distance assessment from radial artery to lower extremity arterial lesion

Endovascular treatment (EVT) for patients with lower extremity artery disease is widely used as a less invasive alternative to surgical bypass. Recently, transradial artery intervention has gained popularity owing to its minimally invasive nature. The distance from the radial artery to the target vessel is critical for success; however, effective pre-assessment methods have not yet been established. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of predistance measurements from the left radial artery using simple computed tomography (CT) images. In this study, distance measurements were performed from the left radial artery to the left and right iliac artery bifurcations and from the left radial artery to the common femoral artery at the upper femoral border. These distances, measured using CT images before and after the lower-extremity contrast study, were compared with the distances identified during the lower-extremity contrast study. Distances measured using simple CT images showed a high correlation with the distances identified during the lower-extremity contrast examination (r = 0.9317, p < 0.0001; from the left radial artery to the left and right iliac artery bifurcation; r = 0.9402, p < 0.0001; and from the left radial artery to the right common femoral artery at the upper femoral border). Our results suggest that pre-distance measurement using simple CT images can be a useful tool for EVT using the left radial artery approach. Although future large-scale studies are required, this technique merits consideration owing to its widespread adoption in clinical practice.