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Background: Critical limb ischemia, a worldwide prevalent morbidity cause, is mostly secondary to vascular insufficiency due to atherosclerosis. The disease presents with intermittent claudication, which can progress to critical limb ischemia requiring amputation. Research has emphasized that the quality or existence of the pedal arch have a direct effect on wound healing and, therefore, on limb salvage, through the mechanism of collateral vascularization to the ischemic regions., Objectives: This study aimed to determine the existence and, if present, grade of retrograde blood flow from plantar arch to dorsal foot artery (dorsalis pedis artery, DPA). The correlation between clinical symptoms and presence of collateral flow were also investigated., Patients and Methods: Study group consisted of 34 cases, which included patient group (n = 17, all male, mean age: 68 years) and control group (n = 17, all male, mean age: 66 years). After physical examination and lower extremity Doppler examination, spectral morphology of DPA flow was recorded, before and during manual compression of posterior tibial artery (PTA), for a period of 5 seconds. At the end, findings of Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography and, physical examination finding and symptomatology were gathered and analyzed., Results: In the patient group, 31 lower limb arteries, of total of 17 cases, were included. After compression maneuver, DPA in 11 cases (six right, five left) showed retrograde filling from plantar arch. This retrograde flow support was triphasic in three cases, biphasic in five cases, and monophasic in three cases. In other DPAs of these 20 limbs, PTA based retrograde collateral flow was not determined. In nine of these 20 limbs, with no or diminished retrograde filling, symptoms were worse than in other cases. Contrarily, only two of 11 limbs, with retrograde collaterals, have claudication during walking., Conclusion: In cases with critical atherosclerotic disease of anterior tibial artery, PTA-based biphasic or triphasic retrograde collateral flow prevents ischemia, whereas monophasic support or no retrograde flow remains incapable.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly accurate for the depiction of both the primary tract of fistula and abscesses, in patients with perianal disease. In addition, MRI can be used to evaluate the activity of fistulas, which is a significant factor for determining the therapeutic strategy., Objectives: This study aimed to determine the usefulness of diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI for assessing activity and visibility of perianal fistula., Patients and Methods: Fifty-three patients with 56 perianal fistulas were included in the current retrospective study. The T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and DWMRI were performed and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of fistulas were measured. Fistulas were classified into two groups: only perianal fistulas and fistulas accompanied by abscess. Fistulas were also classified into two groups, based on clinical findings: positive inflammatory activity (PIA) and negative inflammatory activity (NIA)., Results: Mean ADC value (mm(2)/s) of PIA group was significantly lower than that of NIA group, regarding lesions in patients with abscess-associated fistulas (1.371 × 10(-3) ± 0.168 × 10(-3) vs. 1.586 × 10(-3) ± 0.136 × 10(-3); P = 0.036). No statistically significant difference was found in mean ADC values between PIA and NIA groups, in patients with only perianal fistulas (P = 0.507). Perianal fistula visibility was greater with combined evaluation of T2WI and DWMRI than with T2WI, for two reviewers (P = 0.046 and P = 0.014)., Conclusion: The DWMRI is a useful technique for evaluating activity of fistulas with abscess. Perianal fistula visibility is greater with combined T2WI and DWMRI than T2WI alone.