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Aim: the purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) in patients with critical lower limb ischaemia (CLI), and its modification after three types of therapeutical outcomes. Materials and methods: between January and December 2000 52 patients (36 male, mean age 68 years) treated for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) completed the Short Form (SF)-36 on admission and then 6 and 12 months later. Patients were divided in the 3 groups: Group I: revascularisation; Group II: major amputation; Group III: conservative treatment. Trends for each dimension over the follow-up and the effect of treatment group were assessed by an analysis of variance with repeated measurements. Results: on admission, patients with CLI had a significantly worse health-related quality of life than a control population. Although some domains improved, some also deteriorated between baseline and 12 months and there was no significant difference between the three treatment groups. Conclusions: our results suggest that changes in dimensions of QOL obtained by limb revascularisation do not differ from those of other therapeutic approaches. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd

Purpose: Our purpose was to assess the accuracy and optimal threshold values of the Doppler parameters of the renal arteries and parenchyma for detecting renal artery stenosis (RAS) greater than 60% and occlusion. Methods: Renal duplex ultrasonography and standard angiographic studies of the renal arteries were performed in 78 patients for comparative analysis. Three degrees of RAS were considered: less than 60%, greater than 60%, and occlusion. The following parameters of the Doppler wave were measured in the signal obtained from the main renal artery and interlobar arteries: peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity, peripheral resistance index, acceleration time, acceleration index, and renal/aortic ratio (RAR). Results: Logistic regression analysis identified the PSV in the renal artery as the best parameter to differentiate RAS less than 60% from RAS greater than 60%. Only when this parameter was excluded were the RAR and end-diastolic velocity in the renal artery the variables accepted as the best predictors. Receiver-operator curve analysis revealed a PSV in the main renal artery greater than 198 cm/sec and RAR greater than 3.3 as the best cutoff points for detecting RAS greater than 60%. A PSV above this threshold provided 87.3% sensitivity and 91.5% specificity. The RAR showed similar specificity (92.4%) but a much lower sensitivity (76.4%). A kidney length less than 8.5 cm, in addition to an absent Doppler signal in renal parenchyma, was the best criterion to identify renal artery occlusion. On the basis of the above-mentioned criteria, renal duplex scanning correctly identified 86 of 94 cases of RAS less than 60%, 41 of 48 cases of RAS greater than 60%, and six of seven occlusions (@k value=0.8). Conclusions: These results suggest that the PSV in the renal artery is the best predicting Doppler parameter to detect RAS greater than 60%. A PSV greater than 198 cm/sec may be an appropriate cutoff point to diagnose this group of stenosis. The RAR did not add any predicting utility in this series. An absent Doppler signal in the renal parenchyma and a kidney length less than 8.5 cm were the best predictors of renal artery occlusion.

To evaluate the utility of renal duplex scanning and the captopril test in the detection and functional assessment of renovascular disease, by comparing their results with those of angiography and captopril isotopic renography (CIR). Sixty hypertensive patients with aortoiliac disease and 16 with clinically suspected renovascular hypertension (RVH) were included. All the patients underwent renal duplex scanning prior to angiography. In addition, isotopic renograms and a determination of peripheral plasma renin activity (PRA) at baseline and 60 min after oral intake of 50 mg of captopril were both performed. A postcaptopril PRA > 5.7 ng/mL/h was considered as diagnostic of a positive captopril test. On the basis of the results of the angiography and isotopic renograms, all the patients were classified into three groups: group I (n = 33), essential hypertension (EHT); group II (n = 20), hypertension and angiographic RAS > 60% but negative CIR; and group III (n = 24), RAS > 60% and positive CIR. This last condition was considered as highly suspicious for RVH. Renal duplex scanning showed greater accuracy than captopril PRA or CIR for detecting RAS > 60% (groups II and III) with 87.3% versus 52.4% and 45.3% sensitivity (S), and 91.5% versus 84.4% and 92.8% specificity (Sp), respectively. The captopril test correctly identified 44 of 51 EHT patients (groups I and II) and 20 of 23 highly suspected of RVH (group III) with 87% S, 86.5% Sp, 74.1% PPV, and 93.6% NPV. Accuracy was further increased when a combined approach (renal duplex scanning and captopril test) was followed (82.6% S, 93.7% Sp, 86.4 PPV, and 91.8 NPV). In our study, renal duplex scanning was a useful screening method for detecting anatomical RAS. A combination of both renal duplex scanning and captopril test may be an appropriate approach to the primary screening for RVH, thereby permitting the selection of those patients indicated for angiography. Am J Hypertens 1997;10:1290–1296 © 1997 American Jounal of Hy pertension, Ltd.