Periodic hemodynamics (flow motion) in peripheral arterial occlusive disease

The occurrence of periodic blood flow variations (flow motion) in health and disease is controversially discussed. This is partly due to not reporting the incidence and to performing the analysis solely visually. We have therefore studied flow motion with computerized methods.

We used a computerized Prony spectral line estimator program to analyze the frequencies of resting skin blood flow variations, as determined by laser Doppler flowmetry on the thumb and great toe, in 50 male control subjects (group a), in 50 patients with mild peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD stages I and II; group b), and in 25 patients with severe PAOD (stages III and IV; group c).

The median ankle/arm pressure ratio was 1.10 in the control group, 0.72 in the mild PAOD group, and 0.66 in the severe PAOD group. Slow wave flow motion was detected in 19% of all thumbs from groups a and b (systolic arm pressures > 100 mm Hg) and in 12% of the toes in the control group. Patients with mild PAOD exhibited slow wave flow motion in 46% of the toes. Patients with severe PAOD showed slow waves in 77% of the toes. The median flow motion frequencies were about 1.6 cycles/min for groups a and b, when present. The median frequency in group c was significantly higher at 4.0 cycles/min, though still in the range of slow waves. The median peak-to-through amplitude was between 17% and 20% of mean flow for all groups.

We conclude that evaluation of flow motion requires computerized frequency analysis and that slow wave flow motion is a perfusion pattern characteristic of PAOD rather than of normal perfusion states. This finding has potential implications for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in arterial occlusive disease.