Arteriosclerosis of the extremities

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Arteriosclerosis of the extremities

Alternative Names:

Peripheral vascular disease; PVD; Peripheral arterial disease; PAD; Arteriosclerosis obliterans
Symptoms:

text continues below

Often, symptoms affect one limb. If arteriosclerosis exists in both limbs, the intensity is usually different in each.

Leg pain (intermittent claudication)
- Occurs with exercise (such as walking)
- Relieved with rest
Numbness of the legs or feet at rest
Cold legs or feet
Muscle pain in the thighs, calves, or feet
Loss of hair on the legs and/or feet
Change of color of the legs
Paleness or blueness (cyanosis)
Pulse, weak or absent in the limb
Walking/gait abnormalities

Signs and tests:

An examination may show arterial bruits (whooshing sound heard with the stethoscope over the artery), decreased or absent pulse in the extremities, or decreased blood pressure in the affected limb.

Blood tests may show high cholesterol.

Peripheral artery disease may be revealed by:

An abnormal ratio between the blood pressure of the ankle and arm (ankle/brachial index, or ABI)
A Doppler ultrasound exam of an extremity
Angiography of the arteries in the legs (arteriography)
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) of the extremity
An MRI scan