The ischaemic leg: a long-term follow-up with special reference to the predictive value of the systolic digital blood pressure. Part I: No arterial reconstruction.
The course of 53 patients presenting with 76 legs with ischaemia, defined by blood pressure on the big toe below 30 mmHg, were investigated. The series consists of those patients who after an angiography were considered non-candidates for arterial reconstructive surgery. There were 38 limbs with low pressure and severe ischaemic symptoms, i.e. rest pain and/or gangrene and 38 limbs with low pressures and only intermittent claudication or no leg symptoms at all. There were statistically significant differences in the fate of the limbs in the two groups, the first group suffering a 68 per cent risk of amputations compared to only 16 per cent in the second group. The corresponding risk of death was approximately 60 per cent and 10 per cent. The social fate was poor in the group with rest pain and/or gangrene due to the high number of amputations.
Andersen
H J
HJ
Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Aalborg Sygehus Syd, Denmark.
Nielsen
P H
PH
Bille
S
S
Holstein
P
P
Egeblad
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005734:Gangrene / Q000503:physiopathology; D006214:Hallux / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D013599:Systole