[The correlation between toe- and ankle pressure, clinical symptoms and angiography in patients with leg ischemia]

Abstract

Objective: The severity of leg ischemia is usually evaluated by measuring ankle pressure. This is a simple measurement but can be misleading in patients with severe sclerosis in ankle arteries in which case toe pressure is believed to be more reliable. The purpose of this study was to compare toe pressure with ankle pressure, clinical symptoms and angiography and thus evaluate the usefulness of toe pressure in the assessment of leg ischemia.

Material and methods: In total of 58 legs from 30 patients that came to Landspítali University Hospital because of leg ischemia we measured toe- and ankle pressure and assessed the clinical stage of leg ischemia. All patients also had an angiography of their leg arteries.

Results: There was a correlation between pressure measurements and the clinical stage of leg ischemia and also between pressure measurements and results from angiography of leg arteries. There was not a significant difference between the correlation for toe- and ankle pressure respectively. In two cases it was impossible to measure ankle pressure but in both cases it was possible to measure toe pressure.

Conclusions: Toe- and ankle pressure measurements are equally useful in the evaluation of leg ischemia. Ankle pressure is a more simple measurement than toe pressure but can be impossible to perform when the ankle arteries are very sclerotic. When that is the case toe pressure can often be measured instead.