The clinical value of percutaneous transluminal angioscopy. Angioscopical findings in primary vascular diagnosis and in interventional radiology.

Since the introduction of ultrathin angioendoscopes into clinical application conventional or digital angiography have been controlled by using the same approach like in angiography. In dogs and angiography patients this new angioscopic method for arteries without surgical intervention has been developed. The approach is transfemoral. Endoscopy is combined with angiography, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), thrombolysis, thrombus extraction and a new kind of stents and their application. An ultrathin endoscope with an outer diameter of 1.6 mm and working channel of 0.35 mm is used. Guide wires, contrast media and drugs for local thrombolysis can be applied through this channel. The endoscope is placed into the region of interest under fluoroscopic control and view is obtained by using 0.9% NaCl for decreasing blood flow. Endoscopy is documented by video or by a high-speed camera. It was possible to demonstrate the proceedings of dilatation, recanalization, local lysis, stent-application and thrombus-extraction.