External iliac endofibrosis in endurance athletes: a novel case in an endurance runner and a review of the literature.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition that high-performance athletes can develop symptomatic arterial flow restriction in one or both (15%) legs due to kinking and/or endofibrosis of their iliac arteries. METHODS: Case report and review based on a Medline search of the literature. RESULTS: A 51-year-old female, 24-hour endurance runner presented with a six-month history of rapidly progressing intermittent claudication affecting her right thigh and calf in the absence of classical risk factors for atherosclerosis. On the basis of invasive and non-invasive investigations, a provisional diagnosis of endofibrosis was made and she was treated successfully with angioplasty. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology, optimal investigation and treatment of iliac endofibrosis in endurance athletes is poorly described. Each individual unit's experience is likely to be very small. A European register of such cases would increase our understanding of the condition and improve patient outcomes.

Author information

Author/s: Ford, S J (SJ); Rehman, A (A); Bradbury, A W (AW);

Affiliation: University Department of Vascular Surgery, Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article; Review

Journal: European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Dec; vol 26 (issue 6) : pp 629-34

Dates: Created 2003/11/06; Completed 2004/02/03; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 14603423, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

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