MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Plethysmography

Medical Encyclopedia

Plethysmography

A plethysmography test is performed by placing blood pressure cuffs on the extremities to measure the systolic pressure. The cuffs are then attached to a pulse volume recorder (plethysmograph) that displays each pulse wave. The test compares the systolic blood pressure of the lower extremity to the upper extremity, to help rule out disease that blocks the arteries in the extremities.

Update Date: 5/20/2007

Updated by: Stuart Bentley-Hibbert, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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