Arterial obstructive disease of the lower limbs in the elderly: is angiography required?

A retrospective study of 61 hospitalized elderly patients with peripheral arterial disease revealed that a large majority of them presented with restpain and/or skin defects and gangrene. A palpable popliteal artery was usually indicative of severe distal disease and a poor outlook for revascularisation. In the other patients, angiography was required to clearly delineate good from poor candidates for arterial repair. Yet, only one third of the patients submitted to angiography could ultimately benefit from vascular reconstruction.