Directed Self Learning

3rd Year Tutorial

Symptoms and Signs of Vascular Diseases
1. Make a list of the basic questions you would ask in the history if a patient
presented with
a) Pain in his calf on walking

b) Pain in his foot at night

c) An ulcer over the lower third of his tibia

d) Transient loss of consciousness

e) Transient loss of vision

Read up the anatomy of the dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses. Feel the pulses in
yourself and note their exact position.
Read up the anatomy of the popliteal pulse and try to feel it in yourself
Read up the anatomy of the femoral pulse. Feel the pulse in yourself and note its exact
position

Case Question
A 50 year old man presents to the A & E Dept with pain in his right calf. This came on
when he was hurrying to catch an airline flight.
a) What questions will you will ask when taking his history?

b) What clinical examinations will you do to assess his peripheral circulation

On examination there is no tenderness in his calf but he has absent dorsalis pedis and
posterior tibial pulses in his right leg
c) What is your diagnosis?

The patient smokes 20 cigarettes per day. What will you say to him about this

WOK 2012