Angiologic diagnosis and therapy for radiologic interventions in arteriosclerosis obliterans of pelvic and leg vessels

Angiographic diagnosis and therapy are discussed in relationship to the indications and follow-up of radiological interventions in patients with obliterative atherosclerosis located in the arteries of the pelvis and lower limbs. Various noninvasive diagnostic procedures permit reliable clinical information to be obtained on the localization, extent and geometry of arterial lesions, and the velocity of blood in the vascular system. Determination of symptom-limited ergometry and oscillographic, plethysmographic, Doppler sonographic, light microscopic and magnet resonance techniques are all described in more detail. The therapeutic interventions are mentioned with regard to angiography and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), with particular emphasis on the treatment of risk factors, training, and medication. The long-term results are given after PTA for the Freiburg patient series. Thus, the cooperation of angiologists, radiologists and vascular surgeons considerably optimizes the treatment of patients suffering from occlusive arterial disease.