Clinical study of peripheral arterial occlusive disease of lower extremities

Abstract

Background: Peripheral arterial occlusive disease or commonly known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) comprises those entities which result in obstruction to blood flow in the arteries, exclusive of the coronary and intracranial vessels and the term is usually applied to disease involving the arteries of lower extremity. Peripheral arterial disease is an important manifestation of atherosclerosis involving the arteries of legs. Vascular surgeons continue to encounter complications of atherosclerosis as their most common clinical challenge. Objective of this study was to know the various etiologies and different clinical presentation of Peripheral arterial occlusive disease.Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study of 50 cases diagnosed with Peripheral Arterial disease of the lower extremities, done during the period from January 2013 to June 2014 among the Patients with Peripheral Arterial disease of the lower extremities admitted to surgical wards of SCBMCH, Cuttack.Results: All the cases in the present study fall under the category of chronic lower limb ischemia and no cases of acute limb ischemia. Majority of the cases in atherosclerosis were above the age of 50 years, while in the TAO group majority belong to the age group between 31 to 50 years. TAO was usually limited to the distal part of the limb. All patients with TAO had a history of smoking and 61% of atherosclerotic patients gave history of smoking.Conclusions: TAO and Atherosclerosis are the etiologies for ischemia in these cases, with atherosclerosis being more common of the two. TAO presented at a younger age group whereas atherosclerosis presented in the older age group.