Combined study of hyperemia after arterial occlusion and exercise by an isotopical test and a Doppler-ultrasonic method

Postischemic hyperemia was studied in normal and pathologic limbs by an isotopical method, which measures the delay and the rate of appearance of tagged serum-albumin in the foot after release of an arterial femoral occlusion (T in seconds). The postexercise hyperemia was assessed by the follow-up of the ankle arterial pressure drop (deltaP). deltaP was positively correlated to the logarithm of T in the absence of proximal arterial lesions. The correlation vanished in the presence of an aortoiliac occlusive disease. Therefore we conclude that the isotopical test can be used to assess selectively the capacity of hyperemia of the arterial network below the inguinal ligament.