RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The clinical presentation of peripheral arterial disease and guidance for early recognition
JF Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
JO Cleve Clin J Med
FD Cleveland Clinic
SP S15
OP S21
VO 73
IS 10 suppl 4
A1 Amjad AlMahameed
A1 John R. Bartholomew
A1 Sean P. Lyden
A1 Douglas Joseph
YR 2006
UL http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/10_suppl_4/S15.abstract
AB Most patients with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are asymptomatic. Although intermittent claudication is the classic presenting symptom in those who are symptomatic, PAD often presents atypically as a result of associated comorbidities. The differential diagnosis involves consideration of many nonvascular and nonatherosclerotic causes of exercise-associated leg pain. Weak or absent pulses are the hallmark physical finding of PAD, and the ankle-brachial index is the most efficient objective test for documenting it. PAD may progress to acute limb ischemia (acute deterioration of limb flow) or critical limb ischemia (chronic compromise in limb perfusion resulting in rest pain and tissue loss), both of which can lead to limb loss without timely treatment.