Abstract

Peripheral artery disease is developed for an arterial obstruction. The reduction in blood flow can be asymptomatic or produce symptoms of arterial insufficiency such as intermittent claudication or rest pain in the affected muscle group, as well as the presence of different degrees of tissue loss, such as ulcers, being one of the most obvious signs of ischemia in the limb.

Because the majority of cases of peripheral artery disease are caused for the atherosclerosis resulted for the accumulation of lipids and fibrous material between the layers of the artery in the lower limbs, the present article is focus on this etiology as the cause of peripheral artery disease in lower extremity.

Key words: Peripheral Arterial Disease; Atherosclerosis; Vascular Surgery; Ankle-brachial Index