Open AccessQuantitative study of capillary density in the skin of the foot in peripheral vascular disease
Author(s) -
Lamah M.,
Mortimer P. S.,
Dormandy J. A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2168.1999.01039.x
Subject(s) - medicine , peripheral , claudication , intermittent claudication , foot (prosody) , arterial disease , vascular disease , surgery , cardiology , linguistics , philosophy
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate possible differences in capillary density of the skin of the foot between normal subjects and patients with peripheral vascular disease. Methods: Using in vivo video microscopy, a method was developed to measure the average capillary density (ACD) of the skin of the foot and toes. In a cross‐sectional observational study, 21 patients with intermittent claudication and 23 patients with rest pain or ischaemic ulceration were compared with 19 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Results: Mean(s.e.m). values of ACD of the foot were 33·7(1·9) and 34·4(1·7) per mm 2 in the right and left sides respectively for controls, 31·2(1·8) per mm 2 (P not significant) and 31·9(2·6) per mm 2 ( P not significant) in the symptomatic and contralateral sides respectively for patients with claudication, and 22·0(1·8) per mm 2 ( P < 0·001) and 24·3(1·7) per mm 2 ( P < 0·001) in the symptomatic and contralateral sides respectively for patients with rest pain or ulceration. Conclusion: Capillary density of the skin of the foot is significantly reduced in patients with arterial ulceration compared with that in patients with claudication and healthy subjects. © 1999 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd