Assessment of the physiological importance of iliac artery stenosis by laser Doppler flowmetry in pigs.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that a curve with two peak values (double hump) recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry over the skin of the lower limb during postocclusive hyperaemia reflects pathological vascular resistance in the aortoiliac segment.


METHODS
Open study.


METHODS
Six Norwegian Landrace pigs.


METHODS
Arterial stenoses were induced in the external iliac arteries.


METHODS
Presence of double humped laser Doppler curves, relative decrease in laser Doppler flux between the two peaks, and time taken to reach peak hyperaemic flux.


RESULTS
Double humped curves were seen only when arterial stenoses were present. The relative decrease in laser Doppler flux between the two peaks, and the time to reach peak hyperaemic flux were related to the blood pressure gradient (mmHg) at the stenosis (r = 0.88 and 0.83, p less than 0.0001). The laser Doppler curve pattern can be explained by similar dynamic changes in arterial blood pressure distal to the tourniquet during hyperaemia.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm the hypothesis, and suggest that laser Doppler flowmetry recordings of postocclusive hyperaemia may be a non-invasive way of assessing the condition of the iliac artery.
Department of Surgery, Aker Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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PD
Line
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KK
Sørensen
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Kvernebo
D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007083:Iliac Artery; D007834:Lasers; D013552:Swine