Laser-Doppler probes for the evaluation of arterial ischemia.

Rhythmic variations of microvascular flux have been studied at the forefoot of patients with arterial occlusive disease by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Two patterns of flow motion with characteristic amplitudes and frequencies could be observed. The prevalence of small waves with a mean amplitude of 0.21 +/- 0.1 AU and a frequency of 21.7 +/- 4.2 c/min increased with the degree of ischemia. Big flow motion waves with a mean amplitude of 0.77 +/- 0.4 AU and a frequency of 3.0 +/- 1.0 c/min were found in both controls and patients with different degrees of ischemia. The small waves may represent a compensatory mechanism in skin ischemia.