Recently, a new procedure for noninvasive measurement of the microcircu lation has been developed in the form of a helium-neon-laser Doppler apparatus with which the total erythrocyte flow through a cubic millimeter of skin is quan tifiable.
The authors used the procedure to examine 17 persons with healthy vessels, 36 patients with a degenerative occlusive disease of the peripheral arteries in Fontaine stages II-IV, and 5 patients with endangiitis obliterans.
It is concluded that single measurements do not permit an assessment of microcirculatory conditions but that provocative tests (which are described), especially occlusion tests, make possible valid and reproducible statements and have a high selectivity with respect to the different stages of disease. By repeated measurements followed by calculation of mean values, a further reduction in intraindividual variability among the measurement results can be obtained.
Laser-Doppler examinations of the skin constitute a new procedure with which quantitative statements on the blood flow through skin are feasible and from which interesting results can be expected, especially when used as an acute test.
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