[Local thrombolysis of acute and subacute forearm, hand and finger artery occlusions. Early and late results].

21 patients with acute or subacute severe ischemia at the digits due to occlusions of forearm, hand and/or finger arteries were treated by local thrombolysis with urokinase. The medicament (0.6-1.1 million units per day during 1-3 days) was applied by the intraarterial route after cannulation of the cubital or radial artery. Simultaneously, heparin (20,000 units/24 hours) was infused by the same intraarterial catheter. Complete recanalization was obtained in 5 out of 21 patients, partial recanalization with significant clinical improvement in 9 additional patients. Therapeutic success was best with mean duration of symptoms lasting less than 4 weeks and in patients with embolic occlusions. After one year half of the patients had no remaining symptoms. There were no patients with acral necrosis.