Intimal hyperplasia following vascular procedure. An unresolved problem

Many pathophysiological mechanisms have been postulated for the development of intimal hyperplasia following arterial reconstructions that can lead to restenosis. The central theme appears to be injury to the endothelial cell. A number of pharmacological therapies have been proposed for the control of intimal hyperplasia, but at the current time this is managed by surgical reconstruction. Modification of the hyperplastic response by the newer pharmacological therapies requires further experimental and clinical studies. The definition of specific factors responsible for particular cellular events in the injured artery will make the right pharmacological treatment possible.