ABSTRACT
Symptomatic arterial occlusive disease generally occurs when the artery lumen is reduced to half normal. Atherosclerosis is by far the most common cause of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (1). Other etiologies must be considered in individuals who do not have risk factors for atherosclerosis or in those who have an unusual distribution of arterial occlusive disease. These etiologies include Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis. Both of these arteritides may result in stenosis of any extremity vessel, visceral vessels, or the aorta. Other forms of vasculitis also result in symptomatic arterial occlusive disease. Thromboangiitis obliterans should be suspected if the distal arteries of the upper and lower extremities are involved, particularly in those who smoke cigarettes (2). Acute arterial occlusion occurs as a consequence of embolism or thrombosis in situ. Thrombosis can develop acutely in atherosclerotic arteries or it can occur in locations such as the renal arteries in the presence of antithrombin-III deficiency.
