Extracranial arterial occlusive disease in arteriopaths with peripheral vascular disease

Aortography and angiography of the aortic arch were carried out in 176 patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. In 63.6% there were haemodynamically relevant stenoses or occlusions of the supraaortic vessels, the carotid arteries with 39.2% and the vertebral arteries with 35.2%, being the most commonly involved. Peripheral arterial disease included haemodynamically relevant changes in the femoro-popliteal arteries in 83%, in the aorto-iliac region in 67.1% and in the calf vessels in 58.5%. There was a statistically significant correlation between the clinical severity of the cerebrovascular insufficiency and of the Fontaine stages with the angiographically demonstrable extent of the arteriosclerosis. In addition there was an increasing statistical risk of extracranial arterial occlusion if the disease affected more than one arterial level. (orig.)