Objective: To evaluate peripheral hemodynamics using the doppler ultrasound in the diabetic patients.

Method: We measured mean blood flow velocity (MBFV), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index(PI) in the dorsalis pedis artery (DPA), posterior tibial artery (PTA), and radial artery (RA) from 18 normal controls (n=36), 17 diabetes patients without neuropathy (n=34), and 21 diabetes patients with neuropathy (n=42) by use of Angiodine 2 Doppler system operating at 8 MHz frequency.

Results: MBFV of all the examined arteries increased significantly in the diabetes with neuropathy in comparison to controls and the diabetes without neuropathy (p＜0.05). RI and PI of DPA and PTA decreased significantly in the diabetes with neuropathy in comparison to controls and diabetes without neuropathy (p＜0.05). The blood flow velocity profile was changed from triphasic to monophasic pattern in the diabetes with neuropathy in DPA and PTA.

Conclusion: The Doppler ultrasound is considered as a useful tool for screening change of peripheral blood flow in the diabetic patients with neuropathy.

Objectives: To investigate the lower extremity blood flow in hemiplegic patients with a quantitative Doppler ultrasound examination of the common femoral artery(CFA).

Methods: Cross-sectional area(CSA), peak systolic velocity(PSV) and inflow volume(IV) of CFA of normal and paralyzed limbs in 24 hemiplegic patients were measured with a Doppler ultrasound. Patients were divided into three groups according to the ambulation levels: 1) nonambulator, 2) assisted ambulator, and 3) independent ambulator. The results from Doppler images of paralyzed lower extremity were compared with the normal side in each three different groups.

Results: In the nonambulator group, the three parameters were not significantly different between normal and paralyzed lower extremity. In the assisted ambulator group, the CSA of the paralyzed lower extremity was significantly smaller than the normal side (p＜0.05). In the independent ambulator group, the CSA and IV of the paralyzed lower extremity were significantly smaller than the normal side (p＜0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study proved that the blood flow of the paralyzed lower extremity was diminished than the normal side in hemiplegic patients especially for the independent ambulator group.