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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Evaluation of Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation in the Rat Using Laser Doppler Flowmetry
Published on: January 19, 2020
The association between laser Doppler reactive hyperaemia curves and the distribution of peripheral arterial disease
S A Ray1, T M Buckenham, A M Belli
1Department of Vascular Surgery and Interventional Radiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Tooting, London, U.K.
Objectives:
To determine whether postocclusive laser Doppler fluxmetry (LDF) curves can be related to the arteriographic distribution of disease.
Design:
Prospective study.
Materials:
Sixty-nine patients with symptomatic peripheral ischaemia and 15 healthy subjects.
Methods:
Laser Doppler fluxmetry (LDF) was monitored on the dorsum of the symptomatic foot following 2 min of arterial occlusion at the ankle. During reperfusion three patterns of LDF were identified (types I-III). All patients subsequently underwent arteriography which was reported independent of LDF results. The distribution of disease, particularly patency of below-knee vessels, was related to the type of LDF curve observed during reactive hyperaemia.
Results:
Type I curves were observed in all healthy subjects and 75% of patients with a single arterial lesion. Type II curves were found in 78% of patients with multiple lesions above the knee. The presence of either a type I or II curve was associated with a continuous vessel from knee to ankle (positive predictive value 83%, p < 0.01), whilst type III curve was associated with discontinuous infrapopliteal run-off (positive predictive value 86%, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
This pilot study suggests that post-occlusive LDF curves may identify the distribution of arterial disease and may be useful in the non-invasive management of peripheral ischaemia.
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