How accurate are high thigh narrow cuff pressure measurements in the assessment of aorto-iliac obstructive disease?

Thigh cuff pressure measurements are commonly used as a diagnostic method in the assessment of the aorto-iliac (AI) segment of patients with arterial obstructive disease. For a reliable assessment of the AI segment the use of a narrow cuff placed high on the thigh has been advocated. Although this method is commonly used, opinions on its diagnostic value are very divergent. To investigate its diagnostic value the pressure measured with a high thigh narrow cuff was compared with the intra-arterial pressure of the common femoral artery measured at rest and during reactive hyperaemia. Furthermore, the accuracy of these thigh pressures for detecting haemodynamically significant (HDS) AI stenoses was examined. The influence of an occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) on the pressure measurements was also studied. A correlation coefficient of 0.64 ( P