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Chapter 2
•
Cardiovascular Care
PICTURING
PATHO
VASCULAR DISORDERS
AND PROBLEMS WITH
PERIPHERAL CIRCULATION
Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
is used to describe the stenosis
or occlusion of upper or lower
extremities due to atherosclerosis or
DISEASES
Bypass graft
Superficial
femoral artery
Popliteal artery
Bypass surgery provides alternate route restore adequate
circulation to the distal part of the leg. (Reprinted with
permission from Kupinski AM.
The Vascular System
. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2017.)
Color flow duplex image of popliteal artery with normal triphasic
Doppler flow.
thromboembolic disease. Obstruction
or narrowing of the lumen can be
both asymptomatic and symptomatic.
As the disease progresses and blood
vessels narrow, decreased arterial
flow to the lower extremities occurs
resulting in symptoms that are
manifested as classis intermittent
claudication (IC) or atypical
claudication or leg discomfort. IC
is a leg muscle discomfort relieved
with rest, while atypical claudication
is defined as an extremity discomfort
that is exertional but does not
resolve with rest. PAS is systemic
atherosclerotic process similar
to atherosclerotic disease of the
coronary vessels.