External iliac artery fibrodysplasia.

Clinical and arteriographic features of 12 patients with external iliac artery fibrodysplasia are reviewed. These lesions usually occur in patients having arterial fibrodysplasia elsewhere, attesting to the fact that they represent a generalized arteriopathy. Occasionally they occur in association with severe atherosclerosis. External iliac artery fibrodysplasia exhibits the classic corrugated "string-of-beads" angiographic appearance in the majority of patients. The pattern of aneurysmal dilatation of the external iliac arteries in one patient and the aorta and common iliac and internal iliac arteries in another with diffuse arterial fibrodysplasia has not been previously reported. Three patients had symptoms directly referable to external iliac artery fibrodysplasia. The lesions may be symptomatic when the arterial lumen is sufficiently compromised to reduce blood flow or when superimposed thrombosis and/or embolization occurs.