Abstract
Vascular restenoses currently represent amajor problemin the treatment of vascular stenoses. One of new approaches in the prevention of restenoses is intravascular brachytherapy.
Intravascular brachytherapy uses local irradiation of the stenotic vessel segment by ionizing radiation with the aim of prevention of restenosis. This is a new rapidly developing multidisciplinary approach based on collaboration of specialties of intervention radiology, intervention cardiology, angiology, nephrology and radiation oncology.
This review examines current options of intravascular brachyterapy as well as results of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of intravascular brachytherapy in the different anatomical regions. Intravascular brachytherapy may substantially reduce the rate of restenoses.
However, intravascular brachytherapy should be currently used only in the setting of clinical trials. Optimal method of irradiation of the stenotic segment of the vessel is still to be defined.