Non-invasive treatment of critical limb ischemia.

Patients with threatening ischemia of the lower extremities constitute a steadily increasing patient population owing to the increasing age of the general population and the growing incidence of diabetes. The goals of treatment for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) are pain control, wound healing, limb salvage, improvement of quality of life and reduction of overall cardiovascular risk. A high proportion of patients with CLI have coexisting diseases, mainly cardiovascular and renal disorders. The purpose of this article is to summarize non-invasive treatment options in patients with CLI and to critically review the results of landmark investigations dealing with conservative therapy for chronic critical limb ischemia.