Sudden Severe Left Leg in Surgery — 64yo Man | Vascular Surgery | SMLE Q#17443
SMLE Question #17443
Surgery
Vascular Surgery
Objective: OBJ-ALI-INIT-INV
Last updated: February 2026
A 64-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus, long-standing hypertension, and peripheral arterial disease presents with sudden severe left leg pain and paresthesia for 2 hours. He denies trauma. The left foot is pale and cool with delayed capillary refill, decreased toe sensation, and markedly reduced dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses compared with the right. What is the most appropriate initial investigation to confirm arterial occlusion and help localize the lesion?
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