Duplex scanning of the peripheral arteries: Correlation of the peak velocity ratio with angiographic diameter reduction

• Published in: Ultrasound in medicine & biology Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 433 - 440
• Main Authors: Ranke, Carsten, Creutzig, Andreas, Alexander, Klaus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 1992; Elsevier
• Subjects: Angiography; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Blood Pressure; Duplex ultrasound; Female; Femoral Artery - diagnostic imaging; Femoral Artery - physiopathology; Humans; Iliac Artery - diagnostic imaging; Iliac Artery - physiopathology; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Peripheral arterial occlusive disease; Predictive Value of Tests; Pulsed Doppler; Quantification; Radiography; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stenoses; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Ultrasonics; Ultrasonography; Duplex ultrasound; Peripheral arterial occlusive disease; Pulsed Doppler; Quantification; Angiography; Blood flow velocity; Stenoses; Ultrasonics; Sonography; Occlusion; Arteriopathy; Correlation analysis; Lower limb; Stenosis; Narrowing; Diagnosis; Peripheral hemodynamics; Blood flow
• ISSN: 0301-5629; 1879-291X
• DOI: 10.1016/0301-5629(92)90082-L

The correlation of the peak systolic velocity (PSV) and the peak velocity ratio (PVR, calculated as intrastenotic PSV divided by proximally recorded PSV) with percent diameter reduction was studied in 62 patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. PSV values correlated well with angiographic diameter reduction ( r = 0.81, n = 106 stenoses), but due to large variability the sensitivity and specificity in the detection of >50% stenoses were only 66% and 80% (for a cutoff value of 180 cm/s). The PVR showed less interindividual variability and exhibited a strong correlation with percent diameter reduction ( r = 0.93, n = 106 stenoses). A 2.4 fold increase of the peak systolic velocity values with respect to the proximal site (i.e., PVR = 2.4) or more indicated a more than 50% stenosis with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 94%. Figures for PVR are provided to quantitate the degree of stenoses in the 50–99% range. Calculation of PVR may normalize for patient variation and allow noninvasive quantification of lumen narrowing with high sensitivity and specificity.