Radiotherapy-related axillary arteriopathy

Federico Bucci

Frederic Robert

Leslie Fiengo

Philippe Plagnol

^{Department of Vascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Sud Gironde, Langon, France}

^{Department of Cardiology, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Sud Gironde, Langon, France}

^{Department of General and Vascular Surgery, La Sapienza University Hospital, Rome, Italy}

^{Corresponding author. Service de Chirurgie Vasculaire, CH Sud Gironde, Rue Langevin, 33210 Langon, France. Tel: +33-556-765772; fax: +33-556-765725; e-mail:}rf.liamtoh@iccubociredef (F. Bucci).

Received 2011 Sep 16; Revised 2011 Nov 2; Accepted 2011 Dec 1.

Abstract

Treatment of breast cancer involves surgery, then perhaps radiation, hormonal or chemotherapy. Radiation-induced arterial injury is a well-known entity that represents a rare cause of arterial occlusion. We present the case of a 76-year old woman who complained of a severe intermittent claudication of the right upper limb. Twenty years before, she underwent a right-sided radical mastectomy followed by intense radiation therapy for several weeks. The patient was found to suffer of a radiotherapy-related axillary artery thrombosis and was successfully treated by angioplasty and stenting.

Keywords: Axillary artery, Subclavian artery, Stenosis, Thrombosis, Angioplasty, Endovascular treatment, Radiotherapy, Breast cancer

Abstract

REFERENCES

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