Improvements in artery occlusion by low-density lipoprotein apheresis in a patient with peripheral arterial disease.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD; arteriosclerosis obliterans) shows ischemic symptoms along the peripheral arteries due to reduced blood flow, and the number of patients with PAD is increasing. Several papers have reported on the clinical effect of low-density lipoprotein apheresis (LDL-A) on PAD, but there has been no report so far on the improvement of total peripheral artery stenosis by LDL-A. We report on the clinical course of a female PAD patient with intractable decubitus in her heel due to the complete occlusion of anterior tibial artery who was treated by a series of LDL-A sessions. The complete occlusion of the anterior tibial artery improved as seen on angiography, and the decubitus in her heel also markedly improved after LDL-A therapy. This report supports the clinical benefit of LDL-A for the treatment of PAD.