12
Diagnosis
Table 7. Alternative Diagnosis for Leg Pain or Claudication
Not Related to PAD (Normal Physiological Testing)
Condition Location Characteristic Effect of Exercise
Hip arthritis Lateral hip, thigh Aching
discomfort
Aer variable degree
of exercise
Foot/ankle arthritis Ankle, foot, arch Aching pain Aer variable degree
of exercise; may also be
present at rest
Nerve root
compression
Radiates down leg Sharp
lancinating pain
Induced by sitting,
standing, or walking
(variable)
Spinal stenosis
(eg, degenerative
disc disease or tumor
Oen bilateral
buttocks, posterior
leg
Pain and
weakness
May mimic
claudication
Symptomatic
popliteal (Baker's)
cyst
Behind knee,
down calf
Swelling,
tenderness
With exercise
Venous claudication Entire leg, worse
in calf
Tight, bursting
pain
Aer walking
Chronic
compartment
syndrome
Calf muscles Tight, bursting
pain
Aer strenuous
exercise (jogging )
Modified from Norgren et al. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2007;33(suppl 1):S1–S75.
Copyright © 2007, with permission from Elsevier.
