Clinical manifestations of acute arterial embolism

Acute arterial embolism without collateral circulation compensation has a rapid progression of disease. The typical manifestations are the 5 “P” signs: the severity of clinical symptoms depends on the location and degree of embolism, the amount of secondary thrombosis, the presence of previous atherosclerotic disease causing arterial stenosis, and the establishment of collateral circulation. ① Pain Pain is often the earliest symptom, and the first symptom to appear in about 20% of patients is numbness, while pain is not obvious. ②Change of skin color and temperature The blood circulation of the limb is impaired after arterial embolism, and the skin of the limb below the embolism plane is waxy pale or partially cyanotic, and the pale skin is more obvious after elevating the limb. With further development of ischemia, the skin temperature of the affected limb decreases, most obviously at the distal end of the embolized limb. The plane of skin temperature change is lower than the plane of true embolization. In embolism of the terminal abdominal aorta, the skin temperature changes are approximately in the bilateral thighs and buttocks, in embolism of the common iliac artery, the skin temperature changes are approximately in the lower thighs, in embolism of the common femoral artery, the skin temperature changes are approximately in the middle thighs, and in embolism of the popliteal artery, the skin temperature changes are approximately in the lower calves. (iii) Numbness The distal end of the affected limb shows a stocking-type sensory loss area, which is due to the dysfunction caused by peripheral nerve ischemia. Proximally, there is a hyperalgesia zone, and then proximally, there may be a sensory hypersensitivity zone, and the affected limb may also have pins and needles sensation. ④Motor impairment Severe nerve and muscle ischemia may result in muscle weakness, or even paralysis and inability to move, with varying degrees of hand or foot prolapse. ⑤ Weakness or disappearance of arterial pulsation The arterial pulsation below the embolization plane of the limb is weak or disappeared after embolization, commonly the radial artery or dorsalis pedis artery is weak or disappeared.