[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the vascular area of the lower limbs. Current indications].

Usual indications for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the vascular district of the lower limbs are single stenoses, short multiple stenoses and obstructions--shorter than 8 cm--in Fontaine's stage II, III and IV patients. Our experience is based on 642 PTAs carried out for obliterative arteriopathy of the lower limbs over a 6-year period. In agreement with the literature, we believe that today these indications can be extended to "limb salvage", to chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions longer than 8 cm and of a duration of less than one year, treated also with loco-regional fibrinolysis, and to asymptomatic lesions. Our series of patients include 15 treatments for "limb salvage", 21 chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions and 5 cases with bilateral lesions. The latter were treated with PTA only on the symptomatic side: later angiographic controls demonstrated a progressive deterioration only on the asymptomatic side. Immediate results were positive in 86% of the "limb salvage" cases and in 85% of the chronic femoral-popliteal obstructions. The advantages are discussed of PTA in the above-mentioned cases, paying also attention to the cost-benefit ratio.