PURPOSE: To recanalize the occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery at origin site by retrograde approach via popliteal artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 15 patients, who were poor surgical candidates due to coronary artery disease and who had severe occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery close to its origin with good distal runoffs to popliteal artery, were selected. Patients were all~men and range of age were from 53 years to 66 years (mean age:63 years). Range of lesion length were from 15cm to 30cm (mean length:22.4cm). Localization of popliteal artery was done with Doppler stethoscope or "road-map" DSA. The method of recanalization were transluminal endarterectomy catheter (TEC), TEC and angioplasty, thrombolysoangioplasty (TLA). RESULT: Retrograde puncture of popliteal artery were done in 15 patients successfully. TEC & PTA was performed in 9 patients, TEC only in 2 patients, and TLA & PTA in 2 patients. During the follow-up period of 5 months to 2 years reocclusion did not occurr in 10 patients except for 1 patient with poor cardiac output in whom it occured 1 day later. Remained 4 patients were lost in follow up. Any neurologic or vascular complication did not occur. CONCLUSION: Retrograde approach of superficial fernoral artery via popliteal artery in patients with difficult vascular intervention by common method provides a useful, alternative recanalization method.
Angioplasty ; Arteries ; Cardiac Output ; Catheters ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Endarterectomy ; Femoral Artery* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Popliteal Artery* ; Punctures ; Stethoscopes

PURPOSE: We assessed the usefulness of magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and its techniques for differential diagnosis of hemorrhagic causes in patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 74 patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic diseases, which were confirmed by radiological examinations(36 cases) and operations(38 cases). We compared the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) alone from MRI with MRA in evaluation of hemorrhagic causes. MRA was obtained by Time-of-Flight(TOF) and Phase Contrast(PC) technique. We investigated the usefulness of TOF and PC technique. RESULTS: MRI with MRA for detection of hemorrhagic causes(89%, 66 cases) was better than MRI only (64%, 47 cases). PC was better than TOF for evaluation of arteriovenous malformation and aneurysm due to subtraction of background noise(hemorrhage). CONCLUSION: MRI with MRA in more useful than MRI alone for evaluation of non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic causes.
Aneurysm ; Angiography* ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies