Analysis of the effectiveness of color Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of the arterial system in patients who underwent lower extremity amputation due to diabetic foot

Abstract

Background: Our aim in this study is to investigate the role of Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) in the localization of obstruction in the arterial system in patients who underwent lower extremity amputation due to diabetic foot, and to compare the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of DUS compared to computed tomography angiography (CTA).Materials and Method: Patients who underwent lower extremity amputation due to diabetic foot between 2018 and 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. 102 patients with both DUS and CTA imaging before the first amputation were included in the study. The stenosis and occlusion data detected in the vessel segments in both imaging modalities were analyzed statistically and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of DUS according to CTA were determined.Results: Of 102 patients, 92 (90.2%) were male and 10 (9.8%) were female. The mean age was 67.23±1.06 (range: 39-87 years). A total of 714 artery segments in the reamputated lower extremity were visualized with both DUS and CTA. When all segments were examined, 211 (29.4%) stenosis and 245 (34%) occlusion were detected in CTA, while 269 (37.4%) stenosis and 109 (15.1%) occlusions were detected in DUS. The results obtained as a result of the statistical evaluation performed to determine the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of DUS compared to CTA were 87.93%, 91%, and 88.77%, respectively.Conclusion: According to this study, DUS is a safe and non-invasive method for investigating the lower extremity arterial system. We think that it is a method that can be preferred as an alternative to CTA, which is especially performed by experienced radiologists.