A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF TRANSCUTANEOUS OXYGEN-TENSION (TCPO2) DURING REST AND POSTISCHEMIC RESPONSE TEST IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PATIENTS WITH MILD AND MODERATE ARTERIOSCLEROSIS OBLITERANS (ASO)

Transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2) was measured at the foot and che st wall in 12 normal subjects and 62 patients with arteriosclerosis ob literans (ASO). The results showed that the resting tcPO2 at the foot and the chest wall was significantly lower in asymptomatic patients (p < 0.01 at the foot and p < 0.01 at the chest wall) and patients with mild and moderate intermittent claudication (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, re spectively) than in normal subjects. The postischemic response test (T 1/2) was significantly delayed in asymptomatic patients (p < 0.05) and patients with mild and moderate intermittent claudication (p < 0.01 r espectively) as compared with normal subjects. The preliminary results of this study suggest that the measurement of resting tcPO2 is useful in the diagnosis of patients with mild and moderate ASO. Measurement of resting tcPO2 coupled to the T1/2 test is more useful for discrimin ation in the severity of the disease and may provide information conce rning prognosis of the patients.