Quantitative ultrasonographic studies of lower extremity flow velocities in health and disease.

Quantitative Doppler ultrasonographic flow velocity determinations are reported from 39 normal control subjects and 80 patients with angiographically documented peripheral arterial disease, in whom femoral, posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis arteries were studied. The mean control values of the most useful parameters were: femoral artery: peak forward velocity (PFV) cm/sec: 40.7 +/- 10.9, deceleration (Dec.) cm/sec2:250.9 +/- 60.0, peak/mean velocity (P/MV): 4.8 +/- 1.6; posterior tibial artery: PFV: 16.0 +/- 10.0, Dec.: 129.8 +/- 75.7, P/MV: 4.8 +/- 2.5; dorsalis pedis artery: PFV: 168 +/- 5.7, Dec.: 137.9 +/- 54.5, P/MV: 6.0 +/- 4.1. The values of these measurements in the patients with arterial occlusive disease were all significantly lower, and also permitted distinguishing those with multilevel disease from those with a single site of occlusion. Quantitative evaluation of the Doppler ultrasonogram permits obtaining detailed functional information on the degree of arterial flow impairment in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.