Interventional treatment of noncoronary atherosclerotic pathologies: an update about what the cardiologists should know.

Many interventional cardiologists are becoming interested in the interventional treatment of noncoronary atherosclerotic pathologies. The systemic nature of vascular atherosclerosis is beginning to involve not only angiologists and vascular surgeons but also clinical and invasive cardiologists. Several new techniques and fields of application, such as protection and thromboaspiration devices, new atherectomy devices, cryoplasty and angiogenic gene therapy are appearing on the horizon. Moreover, in recent years, well tried techniques such as carotid angioplasty, endovascular repair of vascular aneurysms, peripheral brachytherapy, and tibio-peroneal stenting have made significant advances with more impressive results. In this review the authors offer cardiologists an overview and an update of the most recent advances in the techniques and results in the field of the interventional treatment of noncoronary atherosclerotic pathologies.