A decade of subclavian angioplasty: aortoarteritis versus atherosclerosis

The therapeutic outcome of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for subclavian steno-occlusive disease performed over the last 10 years was assessed in 60 consecutive patients of aortoarteritis (n = 35) and atherosclerosis (n = 25). Sixty lesions were stenotic and 6 short segment total occlusions. Twenty-five lesions were prevertebral and 41 postvertebral. PTA was successful in 56 (primary success rate 93.3%) stenotic lesions and 3 (50%) total occlusions. In comparison to atherosclerosis, patients with aortoarteritis were younger (27.7 +/- 9.1 versus 54.7 +/- 10.7 years; p < 0.001), more often female (75% versus 20%; p < 0.001), gangrene was uncommon (0% versus 16%; p < 0.05) and diffuse involvement was more often seen (42.9% versus 4.0%; p < 0.001). The luminal diameter stenosis was similar before PTA (88.6 +/- 9.7% versus 89.0 +/- 9.1%; p = NS); however, aortoarteritis group had more residual stenosis (15.7 +/- 12.5% versus 8.3 +/- 9.6%; p < 0.05) after PTA. Higher balloon inflation pressure was required to dilate the lesions of aortoarteritis (9.9 +/- 4.6 versus 5.5 +/- 1.0 atm; p < 0.001). Three (5%) patients had complications which could be effectively managed nonsurgically. There were no neurological sequelae, even in PTA of prevertebral lesions. On clinical follow-up over a period of 4-120 (43.7 +/- 29.6) months in 45 of the 60 (75%) patients, higher restenosis rate (20.8% versus 4.8%; p = NS) was observed in aortoarteritis group, particularly in those patients with diffuse arterial narrowing. These lesions could be effectively redilated. Successful PTA resulted in marked improvement in symptoms on long-term follow-up. In conclusion, subclavian PTA is safe and can be as effectively performed in aortoarteritis as in atherosclerosis with good long-term results.