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Summary: Peripheral artery disease of the lower limbs (PAD) is a common disease. Evaluation of PAD is primarily based on non-invasive examinations with analysis of the arterial Doppler signal being a key element. However, the description of arterial Doppler waveforms morphologies varies considerably across medical schools and from country to country. In order to overcome this issue, the French College of Teachers for Vascular Medicine (Collège des Enseignants de Médecine Vasculaire; CEMV) has summarised the published data on Doppler waveforms analysis and proposes a new "Saint-Bonnet" classifi cation system to describe Doppler waveforms morphologies. The simplifi ed Saint-Bonnet classifi cation comprises eight types and allows taking into account if the Doppler signal does not revert to baseline. This classifi cation, which is based on previous classifi cations, could improve the descriptions of both physiological and pathological waveforms, recorded in lower limb arteries. According to the reviewed literature, recommendations about the use of Doppler waveforms are proposed. This statement is a preamble to reach an international consensus on the subject, which would standardize the description of arterial waveforms and improve the management of PAD patients.

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Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) risk factors are close to those of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Diagnosis is made in a clinical setting but ultrasonography is useful to eliminate concomitant deep vein thrombosis (DVT). For SVT of the lower limbs, which is the main location, varicose veins represent the principal cause but underlying conditions (e.g.: autoimmune diseases, malignancy or thrombophilia) must be sought in idiopathic, migrant or recurrent SVT and in the absence of varicose veins. Concomitant DVT and pulmonary embolism can occur in approximately 15% and 5% respectively. Historical treatments consist of anti-inflammatory agents plus elastic stockings and, in case of varicose veins, thrombectomy and stripping. Other treatments (anticoagulants, vein ligation) were assessed to limit the VTE risk. A one-month prophylactic dose of low molecular weight heparin plus elastic stockings could be the appropriate strategy in most cases. Other studies are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Quantifying the stiffness properties of soft tissues is essential for the diagnosis of many cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. In these pathologies it is widely agreed that the arterial wall stiffness is an indicator of vulnerability. The present paper focuses on the carotid artery and proposes a new inversion methodology for deriving the stiffness properties of the wall from cine-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) data. We address this problem by setting-up a cost function defined as the distance between the modeled pixel signals and the measured ones. Minimizing this cost function yields the unknown stiffness properties of both the arterial wall and the surrounding tissues. The sensitivity of the identified properties to various sources of uncertainty is studied. Validation of the method is performed on a rubber phantom. The elastic modulus identified using the developed methodology lies within a mean error of 9.6%. It is then applied to two young healthy subjects as a proof of practical feasibility, with identified values of 625 kPa and 587 kPa for one of the carotid of each subject.