Functional Imaging of the Foot with Perfusion Angiography in Critical Limb Ischemia

PURPOSE: To report on the first clinical experience with perfusion angiography (PA) of the foot in patients with chronic critical limb ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PA is a post-processing software algorithm and no extra digital subtraction angiography (DSA) has to be performed for this analysis. The data used to test the feasibility of PA were obtained from a consecutive group of 89 patients with CLI who were treated with standard below the knee angioplasty and 12 separate patients who were not suitable for endovascular revascularization. RESULTS: Motion artifacts in the dataset of the DSA made post-procedural analysis impossible in 10 % intervention. In the majority of patients (59/68) PA showed an increase in volume flow in the foot after successful angioplasty of the crural vessels. However, in 9/68 patients no increase was seen after successful angioplasty. With the use of a local administered competitive α-adrenergic receptor antagonist, it is also possible to test and quantify the capillary resistance index which is a parameter for the remaining functionality of the microcirculation in CLI patients. CONCLUSION: PA might be used as a new endpoint for lower limb revascularization and can also be used to test the functionality the microcirculation to identify sub-types of patients with CLI. Clinical evaluation and standardization of PA is mandatory before introduction in daily practice.