Arteriographic findings in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with critical limb ischemia

Objective

To compare angiographic findings of diabetic and nondiabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

Methods

We included 161 patients with infrainguinal critical limb ischemia (CLI). We evaluated the clinical and arteriographic (number and presence of opacification of leg arteries) of the two groups of patients. Statistical analysis was performed using EPI-INFO.

Results

Most patients were category 5 of Rutherford's Classification and had femoropopliteal disease. Seventy-two percent of nondiabetic and 67% of diabetic patients had opacification of the fibular artery (p = 0.25), which is the most present artery in both groups. Diabetic patients had less opacification of the posterior tibial artery in the univariate analysis (29% vs. 47%, p = 0.008). But only female sex showed a significant risk for the absence of the posterior tibial artery in logistic regression (OR = 2.6; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

The peroneal artery was the most frequently found artery in angiograms of diabetic and nondiabetic patients with CLI. Diabetic and nondiabetic patients did not differ in angiographic findings of the leg.