[Intermittent claudication. Synthesis and conclusions]

The intermittent claudication is a symptom. By itself, it does not justify surgical treatment. On the other hand, it is advisable when accompanied by a threat of trophic disorders. Direct arterial surgery is often necessary in the case of suprainguinal, aorto-iliac lesion, rarely in the leg. Indeed, under the inguinal area, nature tends to compensate for occlusions of the trunk by the formation of a parallel network. A logical treatment is to contribute to this tendency, by increasing the upward and downward pressure gradient through muscular exercise and lumbar sympathectomy. In practice, the choice between hyperemia surgery and reconstructive surgery rests on functional data, that make it possible to evaluate the potential of the parallel network and of the peripheral vascular bed.