Peripheral arteriopathy obliterans or peripheral arterial occlusive disease is a medical condition in which there is a localized obstructive lesion downstream of the renal arteries, with hypoperfusion of the lower extremities. The etiology is in the vast majority of cases atherosclerotic in nature. Acute or chronic ischemia (lack of blood supply) is determined.
Mortality is high (3 times that of an age-matched control population) and the incidence of acute cardio-vascular events is high.
