Ultrasound visualization of the popliteotibial arterial segment.

This work evaluates the diagnostic potential of color duplex scanning (CDS), as compared to contrast angiography, for visualization of the popliteotibial segment in patients with occlusive and stenotic lesions of lower extremity arteries. A total of 972 arterial segments were examined in 92 patients with combination of atherosclerosis obliterans and occlusion of the femoropopliteal segment and in 49 patients presenting with thromboangiitis obliterans and occlusion of the femorotibial or tibioplantar segments. The sensitivity of CDS for different segments of the femoropopliteal zone constitutes 75-96%, specificity 94-100%; the K index 0.82-0.89.