Duplex ultrasound assessment of femorodistal grafts: Correlation with angiography

Fifty-eight grafts have been assessed using duplex scanning and ankle brachial pressure indices. This assessment is compared with the findings by angiography. Eighteen grafts were occluded and 40 patent. Duplex scanning defined graft status with a greater accuracy than pressure indices. Pressure indices alone would not differentiate “satisfactory” grafts from those with localised, haemodynamically significant disease. Only 55% of those grafts with localised stenoses demonstrated a fall of > 0.2 in ankle brachial pressure index after exercise. When the information obtained using pressure indices and duplex scanning was combined non-invasive assessment had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 94% for detection of localised, haemodynamically significant disease in patent grafts. Haemodynamically significant disease, as defined by angiography, can be detected and localised with duplex scanning complementing the use of pressure indices in graft assessment.