Ultrasonography was used to evaluate peripheral arterial stenosis and occlusion in 72 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans. In addition, pulsed Doppler spectral waveforms were combined for the mapping of the peripheral arterial stenotic lesion as a screening study.
A total of 576 arterial segments from the common iliac artery to the popliteal artery were examined with 7.5 and 3.75 MHz ultrasound scanners. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated with angiography as the gold standard (88%, 100%, and 97%. respectively, for >50% slenosis, 91%, 100%, and 98% for >75% stenosis, and 92%, 100%, and 99% for occlusions).In the lesions of >75% diameter reduction. the sensitivity was 88% in the common iliac artery. 80% in the external iliac artery, 98% in the superficial femoral artery and 100% in the popliteal artery. The sensitivity in the iliac artery was lower than that in the femoral and popliteal arteries, because of the bowel gas shadow. Pulsed Doppler spectral waveforms were recorded at two fixed points of common femoral artery and popliteal artery. The waveform analysis could differentiate between a normal and a greater stenotic lesion than 75%.
Ultrasonography is an accurate non-invasive method of identifying normal, stenotic, or occluded segments in the lower extremity arteries. Pulsed Doppler spectral waveforms at the fixed locations arc helpful for screening of arteriosclerosis oblitcrans.

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