A reliable and readily available method of measuring limb blood flow in intermittent claudication.
To evaluate isotope limb blood flow measurement in intermittent claudication we have assessed 58 non-diabetic patients comparing our new method with treadmill testing and Doppler assessment. Limb blood flow was applicable to all 58 patients; 25 patients were unable to walk on a treadmill and of the 33 who could 12 failed to walk for one minute, making a standard one minute exercise test inappropriate. In those patients who could perform exercise tests there was a significant correlation between maximum walking distance and limb blood flow (r = 0.35, P = 0.02). Resting, post-exercise and post-hyperaemic ankle-brachial systolic pressure indices bore no relationship to the maximum walking distance. Isotope limb blood flow measurement is reproducible (r = 0.97), can be applied to those patients who cannot walk on a treadmill and provides information about both legs. It correlated significantly with all the other tests and can be recommended for the minimally invasive assessment of intermittent claudication.
Wilkinson
D
D
Vowden
P
P
Parkin
A
A
Wiggins
P A
PA
Robinson
P J
PJ
Kester
R C
RC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D014463:Ultrasonography