Gamma camera measurement of limb blood flow and its clinical application

A simple, accurate, and widely available technique for measuring limb blood flow during reactive hyperaemia has been developed. Subjects are positioned with legs or forearms over a gamma camera and the circulation below the knee or elbow is isolated using blood pressure cuffs. The remaining blood pool is labeled with radioactive tracer (Technetium 99m human serum albumin). Blood flow is derived from the gradient of time activity curves following cuff release and from equilibrium blood sampling. The method and validation of the technique is described, and the clinical application in normal control subjects and in patients with large and small vessel peripheral arterial disease of the upper and lower limbs is discussed.<>