Fibromuscular disease of the external iliac artery

Abstract

Fibromuscular disease is rarely observed in the external iliac artery. During the last 15 years, eight symptomatic cases were encountered in six women and two men whose ages ranged from 29 to 63 years (mean: 47 years). Clinical onset was always recent, either progressive with claudication (three cases) or sudden with abdominal and pelvic pain and acute ischemia due to dissection (five cases). Diagnosis was established by arteriograms showing either a typical appearance of fibromuscular hyperplasia or a segmental dissection or occlusion. Two patients had associated fibromuscular disease of the renal arteries. One of these patients had dysplastic aneurysm of the thyrocervical trunk. Histopathological findings were typical of medial fibromuscular hyperplasia in the seven cases examined. Even though transluminal dilatation is presently simple, adequate, and durable for the management of non-complicated forms, all of our cases were treated surgically either because they were observed before transluminal dilatation was readily available or because of associated dissection. Results of surgery were satisfactory in all cases except one with a mean follow-up of 12.6 years. One patient was reoperated upon 13 years later.