Intermittent claudication is most often evaluated with which diagnostic tool?

• A. Chest radiograph
• B. Doppler ultrasonography
• C. Nerve conduction velocity testing
• D. Coronary angiography

Answer: (A)

Intermittent claudication arises from reduced blood flow to leg muscles during activity, most often due to peripheral arterial disease. To evaluate this effectively, you need a noninvasive test that directly assesses leg arteries and flow. Doppler ultrasonography, especially in duplex form, does exactly that. It visualizes the arteries and measures blood flow velocities, detects where narrowing or blockage occurs, and can be used to calculate the ankle-brachial index to quantify the degree of perfusion deficit. This information helps confirm PAD, locate the disease, and gauge severity to guide treatment decisions.

Chest radiography isn’t relevant to leg blood vessels, nerve conduction velocity tests assess nerve function rather than blood flow, and coronary angiography targets the heart’s vessels. Thus Doppler ultrasonography is the best tool for evaluating intermittent claudication.