Radiology, Vol 150, 375-382, Copyright © 1984 by Radiological Society of North America
Low-dose fibrinolytic therapy in hand ischemia
J Tisnado, DT Bartol, SR Cho, FS Vines, MC Beachley and WR Fields
Intra-arterial, low-dose streptokinase therapy was administered to five
patients with acute hand ischemia (2 to 48 hours' duration) and one patient
with chronic hand ischemia (3 months' duration). In the five patients with
acute ischemia excellent restoration of patency of occluded hand arteries
was obtained, with complete recovery of hand function and avoidance of
tissue loss despite the severity of these cases. In the remaining patient
with an iatrogenic chronic occlusion, ischemia could not be relieved and
bypass surgery was performed with satisfactory results noted at the 3-month
follow-up examination. No complications were encountered during or after
any of these procedures. The catastrophic consequences of hand ischemia,
i.e., loss of limbs or digits, were avoided.
