Vascular Studies
(Includes Carotid, Arm, and Leg Arterial and Venous Studies; also called Carotid Ultrasound, Venous Doppler Studies, Arterial Doppler Studies, Carotid Duplex Scan, and Pulse Volume Recordings, or PVRS)

Overview

Vascular doppler studies are performed in order to assess the blood flow in arteries and/or veins. Some conditions which may affect blood flow include, but are not limited to, the following:

• atherosclerosis (Also called coronary artery disease.) - a gradual clogging of the arteries over many years by fatty materials and other substances in the blood stream. The most common areas affected by this condition are the coronary arteries of the heart, the carotid arteries of the neck, and the femoral arteries of the upper leg.
  
  
• aneurysm - a dilation of a part of the heart muscle or the aorta (the large artery which carries oxygenated blood out of the heart to the rest of the body) which may cause a weakness of the tissue at the site of the aneurysm. In extreme cases, the aneurysm may rupture, which is an emergency situation, due to rapid blood loss out of the blood vessels.
  
  
• embolus or thrombus - clots in blood vessels may be either an embolus (a small mass of material such as fat globules, air, clusters of bacteria, or even foreign matter such as a piece of metal from a bullet) or a thrombus (a blood clot).
  
  
• inflammatory conditions - an inflammation within a blood vessel may occur as a result of trauma (physical trauma, such as from a fall, or chemical trauma, such as from an irritating medication being introduced into the vessel), infection, or an autoimmune disorder (e.g., polyarteritis, Raynaud's disease, and aortic arch syndrome).
  
  
• varicose veins - occur when the veins of the circulatory system in the legs are exposed over time to pressure that causes stress on the walls and valves of the veins. For example, in people who stand a lot at work, a greater than normal amount of pressure is exerted on the leg veins by the blood because of gravity making blood pool in the legs.

Any of these conditions can cause decreased blood flow in arteries and/or veins. The arteries bring oxygen and other nutrients to the cells of the body. The veins take away the blood after the cells have taken in the oxygen and nutrients and given up their waste products, such as carbon dioxide. If blood flow is decreased to any part of the body, that area does not get enough oxygen and nutrients and is unable to get rid of its waste products adequately. Some symptoms that may occur when blood flow decreases to the legs include, but are not limited to, the following:

• leg pain and/or weakness during exertion (known as claudication)
  
  
• swelling
  
  
• soreness, tenderness, redness, and/or warmth in the leg(s)
  
  
• pale and cool skin; may even be grayish or blue
  
  
• numbness or tingling
  
  
• rest pain (pain in the foot that occurs when sitting or lying down and is relieved by standing)
  
  
• ulcers, or sores

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