Radioactive tracers in peripheral vascular disease.

The use of radioactive tracers in the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of the patient with peripheral arterial or venous disease has proven to be clinically useful. Their application has provided a means by which the regional distribution of perfusion at the level of the microcirculation, at rest and under various stresses, can be assessed. Graft patency can be determined simply and repeatedly, and the relative perfusion of "ischemic" ulcers can be used to assess their healing potential. The presence of arteriovenous shunts can be verified, localized, and quantified. Venous thrombi can be detected, and the competence of the venous valvular system and muscle pump as well as the hemodynamics of the venous system can be quantified.