Nearly blocked femoral arteries. Frontal angiogram (blood vessel X-ray) of the legs of a 78-year-old woman with preocclusive stenosis of the femoral arteries in her thighs. The arteries have been highlighted using a contrast medium. Preocclusive stenosis is where a blood vessel has a narrowed area (stenosis) and is close to being completely blocked (occluded). In this case, collateral blood vessels in the rest of the leg have helped maintain the blood flow around the affected area (near centre). The stenosis is due to atherosclerosis.