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Arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO)

Arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) is a pathologic chronic blood flow disturbance caused by arteriosclerosis in the aorta abdominalis and lower limb arteries. As the blood pools in the lower limbs, the patient experiences coldness and numbness in the toes, with dysbasia. If untreated, patients with ASO can develop necrosis of the toes and in extreme cases must undergo amputation of the lower limb. Other complications of ASO include ischemic heart disease (e.g., angina pectoris and myocardial infarction) and cerebrovascular events (e.g., stroke).
Treatment is medical therapy or surgical intervention, depending on symptom progression. When medication does not lead to sufficient improvement and surgical options are difficult to perform, DFPP is used to remove factors causing arteriosclerosis (e.g., LDL cholesterol).

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) develops in individuals who inherit the gene for high cholesterol from one or both parents. Inheriting the gene from both parents leads to homozygous FH and inheriting it from one parent to heterozygous FH. In FH, LDL cholesterol levels are elevated, and typical symptoms include hypercholesterolemia; xanthoma in the skin, tendons, gluteal region, and between the fingers; and coronary arteriosclerosis that may lead to myocardial infarction.
FH is treated with dietary and drug therapies. In severe cases, plasma exchange and LDL apheresis (DFPP) are performed to remove lipids directly and selectively from patients' plasma.

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