[Intermittent claudication].

The symptom of intermittent claudication indicates a generalised arteriosclerosis. The high mortality of these patients is due to myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular events and rupture of aortic aneurysms. Prognostic factors for the progression of peripheral occlusive arterial disease to rest pain and trophical lesions are persistent nicotine consumption, arterial occlusions on more than one extremity, brachiopedal pressure quotient less than 0.5 and diabetes mellitus. Therapy of choice in most cases is the walking exercise. When the claudication distance remains very short or decompensation of peripheral circulation is imminent, reopening procedures like percutaneous transluminal angioplasty should be performed. If they are successless a prostanoid therapy is able to relief the complaints.