Reports in the vascular surgery literature are often difficult to assess and compare with each other because of poorly defined terms, imprecise categorization, lack of indices for gauging the severity of the disease or the presence of risk factors capable of affecting outcome, and varying criteria for success or failure--in essence, a lack of standardized reporting practices. The joint councils of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the North American Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery have appointed an ad hoc committee to deal with this problem. This report represents the recommendations of the first of its several subcommittees, that is, the one dealing with reports on lower extremity ischemia. Certain terms are defined and criteria offered for uniformly gauging the severity of disease, the findings of diagnostic studies, the types of therapeutic interventions, and the outcome of such treatments. Although future modifications may further improve on this effort, it is hoped that this committee's recommendations will help establish reporting standards for articles dealing with lower extremity ischemia.