Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a circulatory condition in which narrowed arteries, usually due to atherosclerosis, reduce blood flow to the limbs — most commonly the legs. Symptoms range from leg pain during walking (claudication) to severe cases with rest pain, non-healing wounds, and tissue loss. Duplex ultrasound is a key diagnostic tool for PAD, combining B-mode imaging of the artery walls with Doppler assessment of blood flow. Sonographers look for plaque buildup, stenosis (narrowing), and changes in waveform patterns that indicate reduced flow. Peak systolic velocity ratios between stenotic and normal segments help quantify the degree of narrowing. Ultrasound is also used to evaluate PAD patients before and after interventions such as angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Sonography Term