Non-invasive femoropopliteal assessment: is that angiogram really necessary?
A method of non-invasive preoperative assessment of chronically ischaemic legs was developed that used clinical data and data derived from Doppler ultrasonography to produce a numerical score that could be compared with an angiographic score for stenosis of the popliteal artery trifurcation. The two scoring systems were applied retrospectively to 144 legs after femorodistal bypass. A close correlation was observed (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001), and both systems tended to predict the level of grafting undertaken. A prospective comparison was then made in 81 ischaemic legs that were examined by arteriography; the correlation between the two scoring systems remained close (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001), and the level of bypass was correctly predicted by the non-invasive assessment in 44 of 50 legs that were operated on. Use of the non-invasive assessment subsequently greatly reduced the indications for preoperative arteriography in patients requiring femorodistal vascular reconstruction.
D000792:Angiography; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography