Noninvasive Imaging for Peripheral Arterial Disease

Because the choice of therapy in symptomatic lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease depends on the severity of the lesion, imaging strategy plays an important role in management decisions. This systematic review provides a useful comparison of three noninvasive imaging methods: contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography angiography, and duplex ultrasonography. Investigators assessed 107 studies: 58 provided information on diagnostic accuracy (using conventional intra-arterial contrast angiography as the gold standard), 44 studies examined adverse events, 4 examined patient attitudes, and 1 examined patient outcomes.

For detecting stenosis of 50% or more, contrast-enhanced MRI was the most accurate of the tests, wi…