Can ultrasound replace arteriography in the management of chronic arterial occlusive disease of the lower limb?
OBJECTIVE
to investigate whether colour duplex scanning can be used as the sole diagnostic investigation prior to lower limb revascularisation.


METHODS
the results of angiography and duplex were compared in 80 limbs (69 claudication, 11 critical limb ischaemia [CLI]) from 68 patients.


RESULTS
excellent diagnostic agreement (kappa value 0.89, 95% CI 0.85-0.93) was achieved at the femoropopliteal segment. Agreement was good for the aorto-iliac segment (kappa value 0.69, 95% CI 0.61-0.77) and moderate for the infrapopliteal segment (kappa value 0.59, 95% CI 0.55-0.63). Similarly, in the decision-making process excellent agreement was achieved for the femoropopliteal segment (kappa value 0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.94), good for the aortoiliac segment (kappa value 0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68), and moderate for the infrapopliteal segment (kappa value 0.46, 95% CI 0.42-0.50). Duplex detected patent 12 tibial arteries in 10 limbs that were not opacified on arteriography. In four limbs duplex revealed significant disease in the above knee popliteal artery that was missed on arteriography.


CONCLUSIONS
treatment of femoropopliteal disease can be based upon duplex alone in the great majority of cases. However, where there is disease in the aortoiliac segment, or where infrapopliteal revascularisation is long considered both duplex and angiography should be performed to maximise pre-operative information.
Division of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
A N
AN
Katsamouris
A D
AD
Giannoukas
D
D
Tsetis
T
T
Kostas
I
I
Petinarakis
N
N
Gourtsoyiannis
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color