TY - JOUR
T1 - Fibroblast growth factor as therapy for critical limb ischemia
T2 - A case report
AU - Cooke, John P.
AU - Bhatnagar, Ritu
AU - Szuba, Andrzej
AU - Rockson, Stanley G.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - In an attempt to avert impending, primary amputation, an 85-year-old woman with chronic critical leg ischemia was enrolled in an experimental protocol to induce therapeutic angiogenesis. Treatment consisted of six consecutive, weekly intravenous infusions of recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Angiographic evaluation was performed before and after therapy. The patient's clinical response was monitored through serial measurements of the ankle/brachial index and by repetitive assessment of limb flow by mercury strain-gauge plethysmography. A beneficial clinical response was detectable by week 4 of therapy, which was characterized by an improved walking distance, relief of ischemic pain, a marked reduction in analgesic consumption, and healing of persistent, unresponsive, painful inflammation of the hallux. The clinical improvement was sustained throughout the remaining weeks of therapy and follow-up evaluation. Plethysmography documented improved blood flow; specifically, the augmentation of digital flow was sustained and correlated with the marked improvement in the patient's clinical status.
AB - In an attempt to avert impending, primary amputation, an 85-year-old woman with chronic critical leg ischemia was enrolled in an experimental protocol to induce therapeutic angiogenesis. Treatment consisted of six consecutive, weekly intravenous infusions of recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Angiographic evaluation was performed before and after therapy. The patient's clinical response was monitored through serial measurements of the ankle/brachial index and by repetitive assessment of limb flow by mercury strain-gauge plethysmography. A beneficial clinical response was detectable by week 4 of therapy, which was characterized by an improved walking distance, relief of ischemic pain, a marked reduction in analgesic consumption, and healing of persistent, unresponsive, painful inflammation of the hallux. The clinical improvement was sustained throughout the remaining weeks of therapy and follow-up evaluation. Plethysmography documented improved blood flow; specifically, the augmentation of digital flow was sustained and correlated with the marked improvement in the patient's clinical status.
KW - Peripheral arterial disease
KW - Strain-gauge plethysmography
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U2 - 10.1177/1358836x9900400206
DO - 10.1177/1358836x9900400206
M3 - Article
C2 - 10406455
AN - SCOPUS:0033064074
SN - 1358-863X
VL - 4
SP - 89
EP - 91
JO - Vascular Medicine
JF - Vascular Medicine
IS - 2
ER -