title: Variations in the anatomical distribution of peripheral vascular disease according to gender.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While large epidemiological studies have suggested that the male gender is more frequently afflicted with intermittent claudication, there is little data whether there are gender differences in the distribution of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The aim of this study  was to clarify this issue on the basis of angiographic findings in patients presenting with claudication.
  
  
  METHODS
  The radiology department computerised database was used to identify all lower limb angiograms performed for investigation of PVD. Patients undergoing incomplete  assessment and those with normal angiograms were excluded. Demographic details for each patient were collected together with details of uni- or bilaterality of disease, the number of lesions present and their anatomical distribution according to the major named vessels. Only lesions reported  as radiologically significant were included in the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred consecutive angiograms fitting the defined study criteria were assessed. There were 310 males and 190 females giving a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. The most common distribution for both genders was multiple  bilateral lesions. There were no significant differences in the number of stenoses in terms of ratio of bilateral to unilateral (2.39 vs 2.77) or ratio of multiple to single lesions (1.5 vs 1.7) between the female and male groups. Disease was more common in males at all anatomical locations,  the most significant differences being for lesions of the common femoral and profunda femoris arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVD is more commonly diagnosed in males than females. The disease process is more commonly bilateral in both genders and PVD affects more numerous sites in the male claudicant  than in the female claudicant. Nevertheless, there does not appear to be any difference in the anatomical distribution of disease between genders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Ynysmaerdy, Llantrisant, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morris-Stiff
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogunbiyi
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Colin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Eryl
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors