Correlation between clinical symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency and ultrasonic features of venous reflux in patients with varicose veins

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare the clinical symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency with sonographic signs of venous reflux in patients with varicose veins.
Material and methods: 50 patients with varicose veins (100 extremities) were evaluated: 23 without varicosities but with varicose veins of the contralateral leg, 13 with varicosities but without complaints, 50 with varicosities associated with swelling and/or aching of the leg, 14 with varicosities and skin changes without ulceration. Duplex doppler sonography was used to measure the venous reflux in femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, long and short saphenous veins; the time of venous reflux was compared to the clinical degree of chronic venous insufficiency.
Results: The presence and time of venous reflux were more evident in extremities with severe clinical symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency, however there were extremities with profound venous reflux and no clinical symptoms, and extremities with only mild reflux and severe clinical signs of venous insufficiency.
Conclusions: There is a correlation between clinical symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency and time of venous reflux in sonographic examination in the superficial and deep venous systems of patients with varicose veins, but venous stasis and hypertension associated with reflux do not seem to be the only causes of skin changes and complaints of the patient.