Endovascular Treatment of Claudication due to Isolated Internal Iliac Artery Occlusive Disease

Abstract

Aortoiliac occlusive disease is a common cause of lower extremity claudication. Patients are typically found to have diminished femoral pulses and abnormal noninvasive vascular studies of the lower extremities. Isolated lesions of the internal iliac arteries are much less commonly treated but can cause similar claudication symptoms in the buttocks, hips, or thighs. Occlusive disease in the internal iliac artery is more challenging to diagnose because the lower extremity pulses and vascular studies can be normal. This may falsely steer the diagnosis away from a vascular etiology. We present a case of disabling buttock claudication in a patient with normal pulses and isolated ipsilateral internal iliac artery stenosis. This was treated successfully with drug-eluting balloon angioplasty. We review the literature for similar cases of isolated internal iliac artery occlusive disease and summarize the disease characteristics and treatment modalities.