Radionuclide assessment of peripheral arterial disease.

The use of radioactive tracers in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of the patient with peripheral arterial disease has produced clinically useful information. Their application has provided a means by which: (1) The regional distribution of perfusion at the level of the microcirculation, under various stresses, has provided objective evidence of diffuse small vessel disease; (2) The determination of graft patency can be simply and repeatedly performed; (3) The relative perfusion of &dquo;ischemic&dquo; ulcers can be determined and utilized to prognosticate their healing potential; (4) The presence of arteriovenous shunts can be verified and quantified; and (5) The skin perfusion pressure can be determined and utilized to assess the healing potential of surgical amputations.