18 - Peripheral and Arterial Vascular Disease Flashcards
What are the three conditions in peripheral arterial disease? (PAD)
- Intermittent claudication
- Critical limb ischaemia
- Acute limb ischaemia
If a patient presents with an acutely painful limb presents with the following features, what are the main differentials you think of?
- Cold and Pale
- Hot and Swollen
- Traumatic history
- Neurological signs
- Cold and Pale: acute limb ischaemia
- Hot and Swollen: DVT, cellulitis, MSK related infections
- Traumatic Hx: fractures
- Neurological signs: radiculopathy, MS (central), disc herniation (spinal), infection (peripheral)
What are the symptoms of acute limb ischaemia?
- Pulseless
- Pain
- Pallor
- Paraesthesia
- Perishingly cold
- Paralysis
Top three are usually first to present
How do you investigate and manage a suspected acute limb ischaemia in general terms?
EARLY INVOLVMENT OF VASCULAR TEAM
Ix
- Examine contralateral limb for comparison
- Look at underlying risk factors e.g AF, DM, smoking, HTN
- Arrange CT angiogram and urgent vascular review
Mx
- Emergency as irreversible tissue damage can occur in six hours
- Start on IV heparin
- Analgesia
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/705/a_image_thumb.png?1614622786)
How do you investigate and manage a DVT in general terms?
Ix
- Swollen hot limb with pain localised to calf
- Calculate Well’s score, if 2 or more do US Doppler
- If <2 do D-dimer
Mx
- Start apixaban or rivaroxaban for 3-6 months. If Cx start LMWH for 5 days first then switch to dabigatran for 3 months
- If iliofemoral DVT then urgent vascular review
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/708/a_image_thumb.png?1614683757)
What is the clinical difference between a politeal vein DVT and an iliofemoral DVT?
- Popliteal: pain, swelling and tenderness localised to calf, conservative management with LMWH and DOACs
- Iliofemoral: pain and swelling in whole leg, may be blue or white leg, needs urgent vascular review
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/709/a_image_thumb.png?1614683918)
If a patient presents with an acutely painful limb you should consider neurological pathology like radiculopathy. What would the clinical picture be if this was the underlying cause?
- Back pain that radiates to affected area
- Pain worse on movement
- Muscle weakness
- Paraesthesia
- Altered reflexes
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/714/a_image_thumb.png?1614684046)
How do you assess, investigate and manage a patient that presents with an acutely swollen limb?
- Accurate history
- Vascular and neurological exams of both limbs
- Ensure patient haemodynamically stabilised
- Look for red flags
- CT angiography if suspect acute limb ischaemia
- Routine bloods with G+S
- Analgesia
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/716/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614684193)
What are the different types of lower limb ulcers?
- Venous, Arterial, Neuropathic
- Most lower limb ulcers have venous origin
- Can also be caused by trauma, vasculitis, SCC malignancy
- Can also be a pressure sore (prolonged excessive pressure over a bony prominence)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/722/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614684403)
How are pressure ulcers managed in hospital generally?
- Adequate mattress
- Repositioning
- Good wound management
What is the pathophysiology of a venous ulcer?
- Due to venous insufficiency
- Shallow with irregular borders and a granulating base and often found over medial malleolus. Prone to infection and cellulitis
- Due to valvular incompetence so impaired venous return with resultant venous hypertension. Trapping of WBC in capillaries and formation of fibrin cuff around vesel hindering oxygen transport to tissue
- WBC also release inflammatory mediators so tissue injury, poor healing and necrosis
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/726/a_image_thumb.png?1614687323)
What are some risk factors for developing a venous ulcer?
- Increasing age
- Pre exiting venous incompetence (e.g varicose veins) or previous DVT
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Severe leg injury
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/727/a_image_thumb.png?1614687411)
What are the clinical features of a venous ulcer and how do you investigate them?
Features:
- Painful with aching, itching or burning before ulcer appears
- May have varicose veins and ankle oedema
- May have varicose eczema, thrombophlebitis, haemosiderin skin staining, lipodermatosclerosis or atrophie blanche
Ix:
- Clinical
- Do Doppler US to confirm venous insufficiency, usually at saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction
- Ankle Brachial Pressure index to assess arterial component to see if compression therapy would help
- Take swab cultures if infection
- Consider thrombophilia or vasculitic screening in younger patients
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/733/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614687533)
How are venous ulcers managed?
Conservative
- Leg elevation and increased exercise to promote calf pump
- Lifestyle changes e.g weight loss, improved nutrition
- Abx if swabs so infection
Definitive
- Multicomponent compression bandaging changed one or twice a week for about 6/12. Need ABPI to be >0.8 before any bandaging applied
- Use emollients to keep skin intact
- If concurrent varicose veins treat with endovenous techniques or open surgery as improving venous return helps heal ulcers
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/735/a_image_thumb.png?1614687862)
What are the risk factors for developing an arterial ulcer?
Reduction in arterial blood flow so decreased perfusion of tissues.
Same risk factors for peripheral arterial disease:
- Smoking
- DM
- HTN
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Increasing age
- Obesity
- Inactivity
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/737/a_image_thumb.png?1614687993)
What are the clinical features of an arterial ulcer?
- Small deep lesions with well defined borders and a necrotic base with no granulation tissue
- Found at pressure points and sites of trauma
- Preceding history of intermittent claudication (pain on walking) or critical limb ischaemia (pain at night)
- Limbs often cold and pulseless but sensation maintained
- Often have limb hair loss
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/739/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614688142)
How are arterial ulcers investigated and managed?
Ix
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/742/a_image_thumb.png?1614688222)
- Do ankle brachial pressure index to quantify extent of any peripheral arterial disease. (>0.9 normal, <0.5 severe)
- Can do duplex US, CT angiography or MRA to find location of arterial disease
Mx
- Urgent vascular review
- Conservative: lifestyle changes like weight loss, stop smoking, increase exercise
- Medical: statin, antiplatelet (aspirin or clopidogrel) and optimise BP and glucose
- Surgical: angioplasty or bypass grafting if extensive
What are the risk factors for neuropathic ulcers?
Anything that causes peripheral neuropathy:
- B12 Deficiency
- Diabetes
These can precipitate:
- Any foot deformity
- Any peripheral vascular disease
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/744/a_image_thumb.png?1614688490)
What are the clinical features of a neuropathic ulcer?
- Painless as loss of peripheral neuropathy so repetitive stress and unnoticed injuries have no protective mechanism so form ulcers at pressure points
- History of peripheral neuropathy e.g glove and stocking distribution with warm feet and good pulses
- May have burning/tingling in legs (painful neuropathy) or amotrophic neuropathy (painful wasting of proximal quads)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/749/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614688724)
What investigations should you do with a neuropathic ulcer?
- Blood glucose levels (either BM or HbA1c)
- Serum B12
- ABPI +/- duplex to look for arterial disease
- Swab if evidence of infection
- If signs of deep infection (e.g visible bone) do X-Ray to look for osteomyelitis
- Assess extent of neuropathy with 10g monifilament and 128Hz tuning fork
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/756/a_image_thumb.png?1614698394)
How are neuropathic ulcers managed?
Refer to Diabetic Foot Clinic
- Optimise diabetic control (HbA1c <7%)
- Improved diet and exercise
- Regular chiropody for foot hygeine
- Appropriate footwear
- Any signs of infection take swabs and give flucloxacillin (gram +ve cover)
- If ischaemic or necrotic may need surgical debridement or amputation
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/759/a_image_thumb.png?1614698522)
What is Charcot’s foot?
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/763/a_image_thumb.png?1614698582)
What is the pathophysiology of carotid artery disease and how is it classified?
- Bifurcation of carotid artery predisposes to atheromas and atherosclerosis
- Fatty streak
- Lipid core and formation of fibrous cap
- Classified by the degree of stenosis
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/768/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614698934)
What are some risk factors for carotid artery disease?
- Age >65
- Smoking
- HTN
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Obesity
- DM
- CVD
- FHx
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/769/a_image_thumb.png?1614698996)
How does carotid artery disease present?
- Asymptomatic until it causes a stroke or TIA (focal neurological deficit)
- May hear carotid bruit on auscultation
- Even if complete occlusion, if unilateral asymptomatic due to collateral supply from contralateral ICA due to the Circle of Willis
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/773/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614699122)
Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of carotid artery disease leading to focal neurological deficit. What are some other causes of carotid artery disease?
- Carotid dissection
- Fibromuscular dysplasia
- Vasculitis
- Todd’s paresis (unilateral motor paralysis following seizure)
- Subdural haematoma
- Post ictal state
- Hypoglycaemia
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/776/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614699230)
If a patient has a stroke what are the initial and follow up investigations carried out?
Initial
- Urgent non-contrast CT to look for infarction
- If thrombectomy being considered then CT head contrast angiography
- Bloods (FBC, U+Es, clotting, lipid profile, glucose)
- ECG (AF)
Follow-Up
- Do Duplex US (Carotid US Doppler) to look for carotid artery stenosis
- Any stenosis within carotid artery can then be looked at with CT angiography
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/778/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614699408)
How do you manage a patient with a suspected stroke acutely?
- High flow oxygen
- Optimise blood glucose between 4 and 11
- Swallowing screen assessment
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/781/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614699609)
What long term management should be carried out for patients who have had a TIA or stroke?
- Antiplatelets: 300mg Aspirin for 2/52 then 75mg Clopidogrel long term
- Statin: high dose atorvastatin
- ?Carotid Endarterectomy: for acute non-disabling stroke/TIA if stenosis 50-99%
- Management of HTN and DM
- Smoking cessation
- Regular exercise and weight loss
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/785/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614699762)
What happens in a carotid endarterectomy and what are the complications of this?
(p.s better than stenting as less risk of long-term major adverse events)
- Done in symptomatic (TIA or stroke) 50-99% carotid artery oclusion
- Remove atheroma and damaged intima
- Reduces risk of future strokes/TIAs
- Complications: stroke, damage to hypoglossal/vagal/glossopharyngeal nerve, MI, local bleeding, infection
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/787/a_image_thumb.png?1614699938)
What are some general complications of a stroke?
- Dysphagia
- Seizures
- Bowel incontinence
- Anxiety and depression
- Cognitive decline
What is the definition of an
- aneurysm
- abdominal aortic aneurrysm
- Aneurysm: abnormal dilatation of a blood vessel more than 50% its normal diameter
- AAA: dilatation of the AA greater than 3cm, every 8mm increase there is 34% more chance of death
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/793/a_image_thumb.png?1614700174)
What are some risk factors for an AAA?
- Smoking
- HTN
- Hyperlipidaemia
- FHx
- Male
- Increasing age
- DM is negative risk factor
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/796/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614700225)
What are the clinical features of an AAA?
Asymptomatic: detected on screening or incidental finding
Symptomatic: see image
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/800/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614700317)
What is the AAA screening programme in the UK?
Abdominal US offered to men aged 65 once
If AAA detected either direct referral for surgery or 3-5 years surveillance before reaching threshold for elective repaire
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/804/a_image_thumb.png?1614700408)
What are the differentials with the pain produced in AAA?
- Renal colic (due to back pain and no other symptoms)
- IBD/IBS
- GI haemorraghe
- Appendicitis
- Ovarian rupture
- Splenic infarctions
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/807/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614700507)
How do you investigate a suspected AAA (not ruptured)?
- US
- Once US has confirmed then CT scan with contrast with a threshold diameter of 5.5cm
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/812/a_image_thumb.png?1614700605)
How are unruptured AAA’s managed?
Medical (<5.5cm asymptomatic)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/817/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614700907)
- Monitor with Duplex USS (3-4.4cm yearly, 4.5-5.4 every 3 months)
- Smoking cessation to stop expansion and rupture
- Improve blood pressure control
- Aspirin and Statin therapy
Surgical (>5.5cm, symptomatic or expanding >1cm a year)
- If >6.5cm tell DVLA
- If unfit patient can wait until 6cm
- See image for options
What would be preferred for an AAA repair, endovascular stenting or open repair?
- Both have similar outcomes
- Endovascular repair has better short term outcomes (30 day mortality and decreased hospital stay) but higher rate of reintervention and aneurysm leaking
- Young patient open repair preferred
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/819/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614701056)
What are the complications of an AAA?
- Rupture
- Retroperitoneal leak
- Embolisation
- Aortoduodenal fistula
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/824/a_image_thumb.png?1614701129)
How do AAA ruptures present?
- Abdominal and back pain
- Syncope
- Vomiting
- Haemodynamicall compromised
- Pulsatile tender mass in abdomen
TRIAD OF RUPTURED AAA: flank or back pain, hypotension, pulsatile abdominal mass
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/830/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614701252)
How is any suspected AAA rupture managed?
Immediate: high flow O2, IV access with 2 large bore cannulas, urgent boods (FBC, U+Es, Clotting), crossmatch for minimum 6 units
Shock treatment: try to keep BP<100 as raising BP could dislodge any clot and cause further bleeding
Transfer to local vascular unit: if unstable immediate theatre for open surgical repair, if stable CT angiogram to determine if suitable for endovascular repair
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/834/a_image_thumb.png?1614701488)
Where are the common locations for aneurysms in the body?
AAA most commonly infrarenal
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/837/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614701566)
What is an aortic dissection?
A tear in the intimal layer of the aortic wall causing blood to flow between the tunica intima and media, splitting the two apart
Acute < or equal to 14 days to diagnosis
Chronic > 14 days to diagnosis
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/843/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614702403)
How can aortic dissections be classified?
Stanford Classification
A - Debakey Type I and II involving ascending aorta
B - Debakey Type III and do not involve ascending aorta
DeBakey Classification
I - originates in ascending aorta and propagates to at least aortic arch
II - confined to asending aorta
III - originates distal to subclavian artery in descending aorta
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/847/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614702557)
What are some risk factors for an aortic dissection?
- Hypertension
- Atherosclerotic diease
- Male
- Connective tissue disorders (Marfan’s and EDS in younger pt)
- Bicuspid aortic valve
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/450/501/850/a_image_thumb.jpeg?1614702631)