Retroperitoneal Fibrosis(RPF) With Lower Limb Edema: Report Of 3 Cases And Review Of The Literature

Objective: To analyze 3 cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis(RPF) with inferior vena cava or vena iliaca compression, to elevate the vigilance to this disease and improve the early diagnosis. Method: from 2000—2007 year, three cases of RFP with lower limb edema were retrospectively analyzed(including clinical features, diagnostic procedures, operative details, pathologic findings), and the recent articles associated with RPF were reviewed.Results: inferior vena cava to vena iliaca by-pass operation were successfully performed in two patients,and retroperitoneal fibrotic tissue resection with PATCH angioplasty in one patient, lower limb edema was obviously relieved in these patients, but one patient died for lung infection 3 mouths after operation. Conclusion: there are various ways to treat RPF with lower limb edema, but no treatment method was wildly received, because lacking of well designed case-control study. In our study, surgical treatment relieved the compression symptoms. With other author's studys on RPF, endovascular approach seems to be a suitable procedure.