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Cosmetic Leg Veins: Evaluation Using Duplex Venous Imaging

1990; Wiley; Volume: 16; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1524-4725.1990.tb00089.x

2374-846X

P Thibault, Alan E. Bray, John Wlodarczyk, Warren A. Lewis,

Body Contouring and Surgery

The records of 305 consecutive patients who had presented with cosmetic symptoms related to varicose and/or spider veins over a 12-month period were studied. Following clinical assessment, 250 (82%) patients were referred for duplex venous imaging. A total of 500 lower limbs were evaluated; 236 (47%) were documented to have incompetence in the superficial venous system (long or short saphenous veins). Only 6 (1%) limbs had deep venous incompetence and 45 (9%) limbs were found to have perforator incompetence. Short saphenous vein incompetence was found in 59 (12%) limbs. In the long saphenous vein there was a consistent pattern of an increasing incidence of incompetence from the saphenofemoral junction down to the below-knee segment. The duplex imaging findings were applied to determine the optimal treatment, ie, whether surgery, sclerotherapy, or a combination of both would provide the best short- and long-term results. The possible etiology and pathophysiology of spider and varicose veins are discussed in relation to these results.