Abstract

Aim: Lower extremity pain is a common complaint with diverse etiologies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vascular pathology in patients presenting with leg pain to a tertiary vascular surgery clinic and to evaluate presentation patterns in a resource-limited region.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 152 consecutive patients aged ≥18 years who presented with primary complaint of leg pain to the Cardiovascular Surgery outpatient clinic. All patients underwent bilateral arterial and venous Doppler ultrasonography. Vascular pathology was defined as peripheral artery disease (PAD) and/or chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Referral status, clinical characteristics, and physical examination findings were recorded.
Results: Vascular pathology was identified in 82 patients (53.9%; 95% CI: 46.0-61.7), with CVI being predominant (46.7%; 95% CI: 39.0-54.6) and peripheral artery disease less common (7.9%; 95% CI: 4.6-13.3). Notably, 70 patients (46.1%) had no vascular disease despite presenting to a vascular surgery clinic. The majority of patients (92.8%) presented directly without referral from primary care. Patients with vascular pathology were significantly older (45.3±15.0 vs. 36.7±13.9 years, p

Key words: Keywords: Leg pain, Peripheral artery disease, Chronic venous insufficiency, Referral and consultation, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Primary health care