In Patients with Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease, Revascularization-Induced Improvement in Lower Extremity Ischemia Can Be Detected by Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging of the Fluctuation in Blood Perfusion after Local Heating

Background We previously reported the utility of the perfusion value (PV) fluctuation slope for detecting severe ischemia in the lower limb. Our approach was based on a thermal load test mimicking the well-known physiological reaction termed “cold-induced vasodilation,” which is known to occur as a 3-phase phenomenon. The slope parameter quantifies the decrease in PVs accompanying the relative cooling (third phase) following the transient increase in blood flow (second phase) induced by the applied thermal load. This phenomenon of “relative” cold-induced vasodilation (rCIVD) can be monitored using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) after applying the thermal load (LTL test). Here, we aimed to determine whether the slope parameter obtained via the LTL test also reflects the improvement in hemodynamics after revascularization. Methods The study enrolled 16 patients (18 limbs), who underwent revascularization for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The measurements were performed at 2 sites in each limb (in total, 34 sites; 2 sites in one patient were excluded because of significant movement during the measurement). For each site, we recorded the slope describing the behavior of PVs (decrease or plateau) in the third phase of rCIVD, following the initial, heating-induced increase in perfusion (second phase of rCIVD). The plateau group (group P), which included patients with an abnormal rCIVD, and the decrease group (group D), which included patients with a normal rCIVD, were defined based on perfusion slope values of Results In group P, the change in median values (25–75%) of the slope, transcutaneous oxygen tension, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) from before to after operation was (−0.02 [−0.04 to 0.02]; 4 [1–11]; and 0.08 [0–0.27]) to (0.39 [0.32–0.59]; 46 [37–54]; and 0.81 [0.72–0.90]). Conversely, in group D, the change in the median values of the slope, transcutaneous oxygen tension, and ABI between before and after operation was (0.38 [0.32–0.49]; 40.5 [35–45]; and0.58 [0.57–0.65]) to (0.44 [0.30–0.64]; 52 [43–56]; and 0.92 [0.81–0.99]). Sites exhibiting perfusion pattern of group D in the third phase of rCIVD showed no significant change in slope after revascularization ( P  = 0.21), whereas the slope in group P increased significantly after revascularization, becoming similar to the postoperative slopes in group D ( P  = 0.81). The amount of transient increase in perfusion, which quantified the behavior in the second phase of rCIVD, showed a similar behavior. Preoperatively, all patients in group P had rest pain and/or ulcer of the foot, whereas only few patients in group D had such symptoms. Conclusions Normal rCIVD response in the LTL test indicates less-than-severe ischemia, while abnormal rCIVD response measured via the LTL test indicates severe ischemic symptoms, such as critical limb ischemia. Notably, patients with an abnormal rCIVD response can develop a normal rCIVD response following revascularization, thereby reflecting an improvement in blood flow. The LTL test assessing rCIVD response can be useful for detecting severe limb ischemia, such as critical limb ischemia (CLI), and determining the departure from severe limb ischemia by revascularization.