[Evaluation of the clinical severity in occlusion of the superficial femoral artery].

The judgment of the efficiency of the collateral circulation is of decisive importance for the estimation of the clinical degree of severity and thus also for the indication to angiosurgical measures. Since also angiographically only an indirect evidence concerning the collateral circulation can be given, the angiological findings of 18 patients with unilateral or bilateral occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (n = 25 lower extremities) were evaluated. On the basis of the measuring values received with the help of the phebembraxis plethysmography 3 degrees of severity may be differed which essentially correspond to clinical stage: 1. good collateral circulation (data in ml/100 ml tissue min: ff above 5 ml, pf above 15 ml, pf-time below 30 s 2. moderate collateral circulation: ff below 5 ml, pf below 15 ml, pf-time 30-60 s 3. bad collateral circulation: ff below 5 ml, pf below 10 ml, pf-time above 60 s. Of the measuring sizes (ff, pf, pf-time) the pf-time proved to be the most reliable parameter. On the basis of these results the phlebembraxis plethysmography is a valuble supplementation in the preoperative vascular diagnostics.