The ability of qualitative assessment of the common femoral doppler waveform to screen for significant aortoiliac disease

Abstract

Visual interpretation of the common femoral Doppler waveform is a sensitive and accurate technique for the prediction of significant aortoiliac stenosis. It is of particular value when full ultrasound aortoiliac assessments are not feasible due to time constraints, obesity or the presence of bowel gas.

Do Doppler waveforms at the common femoral artery accurately predict iliac stenosis?

“…The sensitivity of the monophasic CFA waveform for significant iliac stenosis in our study was 57%. The quoted sensitivities of monophasic waveforms across the literature vary from 56 to 98% [6,7,10]. Given that it has previously been shown that Doppler waveforms can normalise at sufficient distances from the site of a stenosis, it is not entirely surprising that this is the case [10,11].…”

Fourier transformation of arterial Doppler waveforms of the lower extremity

“…Visual interpretation of the waveform shape may differentiate between normal and abnormal vascular flow, 6,7 but such interpretation is qualitative and subjective. To quantitatively and objectively describe how the normal triphasic waveform of the lower extremity changes into the monophasic or nonpulsatile waveform indicating ischemia was the goal of this study.…”

Statement for Doppler waveforms analysis

“…The arterial fl ow recorded is altered in the event of constriction following a certain reduction in lumen diameter [16,30,31]. Changes in Doppler waveforms morphology with regard to stenosis are known as direct signs.…”