Abstract
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents a growing public health issue that continues
to be underdiagnosed. In its most severe form, critical limb ischemia, it contributes
to expanding morbidity with minor and major limb amputations. PAD is strongly associated
with increased mortality, as it is known to be concomitant with coronary and cerebrovascular
disease. Diagnosis of PAD relies on noninvasive arterial testing, a class of tests
that can provide physiologic or morphologic information. Physiologic tests such as
ankle-brachial index, toe-brachial index, pulse volume recordings, and arterial duplex
evaluation are the mainstay of gateway evaluation and surveillance. Morphologic exams
such as computer tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance angiography are appropriate
for preprocedural anatomic evaluation in patients with established vascular disease.
This review focuses on physiologic exams.
Keywords
noninvasive arterial testing - ankle-brachial index - pulse volume recordings - physiologic
arterial test - interventional radiology
