Inflammation, oxidative stress and platelet activation in aspirin-treated critical limb ischaemia: beneficial effects of iloprost.

Platelets critically contribute to atherothrombosis and worsening ischaemia in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), eventually leading to critical limb ischaemia (CLI). Furthermore, persistent platelet activation despite antiplatelet therapy has been reported in this setting. The prostacyclin analogue iloprost is currently recommended in CLI patients for its effects in relieving symptoms by promoting local perfusion.

Ocular and retrobulbar blood flow in ocular hypertensives treated with topical timolol, betaxolol and carteolol.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical timolol 0.5%, betaxolol 0.5% and carteolol 2% on the blood flow velocity of the central retinal artery (CRA), the posterior ciliary artery (PCA) and the ophthalmic artery (OA) in patients with ocular hypertension.

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene in external valvuloplasty for superficial or deep vein incompetence.

The authors evaluated the long-term safety of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) implants used in external valvuloplasty for treatment of incompetence of the long saphenous and common and superficial femoral veins. During a 15-year period patients with superficial and/or deep venous disease and hypertension due to pure superficial or deep vein incompetence underwent an external valvuloplasty with ePTFE sutures, or an ePTFE cardiovascular patch placed as a sleeve around the incompetent vein segment, or an ePTFE tubular graft placed around the venous segment. Postoperative follow-up evaluations consisted of clinical examinations, high-resolution ultrasonography, and color duplex scanning, and a complete blood count performed at 1, 3 and 6 months, and repeated for at least 4 years, every 2 years after the procedure.

Nomograms used to define the short-term treatment with PGE(1) in patients with intermittent claudication and critical ischemia. The ORACL.E (Occlusion Revascularization in the Atherosclerotic Critical Limb) Study Group. The European Study.

Infusional, cyclic PGE1 treatment is effective in patients with intermittent claudication and critical limb ischemia (CLI). One of the problems related to chronic PGE1 treatment in vascular diseases due to atherosclerosis is to evaluate the variations of clinical conditions due to treatment in order to establish the number of cycles per year or per period (in severe vascular disease reevaluation of patients should be more frequent) needed to achieve clinical improvement. In a preliminary pilot study a group of 150 patients (mean age 67+/-12 years) with intermittent claudication (walking range from 0 to 500 m) and a group of 100 patients with CLI (45% with rest pain, and 55% gangrene; mean age 68 +/-11 years) the number of PGE1 cycles according to the short-term protocol (STP) needed to produce significant clinical improvement was preliminarily evaluated.

Ocular and orbital blood flow in cigarette smokers.

Objective: To report the effect of cigarette smoking on the blood flow velocity of the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), and posterior ciliary artery (PCA) in patients who smoke at least 20 cigarettes a day.

Methods: The color duplex scanner was used to measure the systolic and diastolic flow velocity of the OA, CRA, and PCA in 10 smokers and 11 nonsmokers.

Results: Both the systolic and diastolic flow velocity decreased in the OA, CRA, and PCA in smokers compared with nonsmokers.