Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of occlusive arterial disease of the lower extremities. Atherosclerosis is also a leading cause of death and disability in the developed world. The term is derived from the Greek sclerosis, which refers to the thickening of the arterial intima and athere, the accumulation of lipid that characterizes the typical lesion. These lesions affect large and medium-sized arteries. Despite the familiarity of this disease, some of its fundamental characteristics remain poorly recognized and understood. The patient complains of pain, cramping, or muscle fatigue, which occurs during exercise and is relieved by rest. Patients complain of pain or numbness of the foot, which frequently occurs at night while the foot is nondependent. Symptoms improve when the foot is placed in a dependent position. With more severe disease, resting pain

may be present continuously. Doppler ultrasonography is used in evaluation of lower extremity arterial disease. Doppler findings provide good information about the anatomy and physiology of the vessels. Doppler Ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic test; it is inexpensive and painless and involves no risk. During an arterial Doppler harmless sound waves are bounced off your arteries, then beamed back, converted to images on a screen, and videotaped. These images are used to see the blood flow through your arteries. A small transducer lubricated with gel will be moved to various places. Blood pressures will then be taken at various positions. Duplex scanning and color flow Doppler is used to diagnose arterial insufficiency or blockage. This test will take approximately one hour.