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The frequency of pulmonary embolism (PE) in oncologic patients ranges from 1.1 % to 7.3 % depending on whether not only symptomatic findings but also incidental and initially overseen events are considered. The frequency of PE is tumor-specific. Most frequently PE occurs in patients with malignancy of the ovary (25 %), pancreas, brain, uterus, and multiple myeloma. Most rarely is PE found in patients with malignancy of the testis (< 1 %).The tumor-specific frequency shows that the association of malignancy and PE is not equally true for alle malignancies. A number of arguments that support the above association are also valid in non-oncologic patients.The awareness of the diagnosing radiologist and the thrombus mass decide whether or not an unexpected PE is detected. An increased awareness is suggested in patients with malignancies with high PE frequency and in patients with advanced oncologic disease., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality on peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are attributable to the pronounced tendency to generalization of the atherosclerotic process, the systemic progression of atherosclerosis. The crucial objective in management of a PAD consists in preventing systemic progression. The prognosis can be improved by early diagnosis and early prediction of individual risk with subsequent risk-adapted prevention and causal therapy. Early diagnosis and risk prediction are measures that are already part of the repertory of the general practitioner. Practicable and economically justifiable parameters that nevertheless have a high predictive value are therefore required to stratify individual risk. The vascular indicators ankle-arm index and the localization of the PAD as well as the classical cardiovascular risk factors including homocysteine are suitable. Weighting of these parameters in a multivariable risk score enable the population with the highest risk of early generalization of atherosclerosis to be identified in PAD.