The role of sclerotherapy as an adjunct to Unna's boot for treating venous ulcers: a prospective study

Abstract

Ankle ulcers associated with venous disease have been traditionally treated by Unna's compressive bandages. However, successful healing of an ulcer with this therapeutic modality is slow and tedious. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether adjunctive sclerotherapy of large venous channels near the ulcers enhances healing. Twenty-eight patients with perimalleolar venous ulceration were entered into this study. Ulcer size ranged from 6.0 to 25 cm2. All were examined for the presence of large venous channels adjacent to the ulcer bed. A portable continuous-wave Doppler supplemented digital examination of the area. Twenty-five out of 28 patients had easily detectable venous channels, and these were randomized into two groups: group I, treated by weekly changes of Unna's compressive boots; group II, treated by weekly change of Unna's compressive boots and sclerotherapy with 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate (Sotradecol). All patients had the size of the ulcer measured during their weekly visits. Patients in group II took a mean of 2.1 weeks to exhibit 50% healing and 4.3 weeks to fully heal. Conversely patients in group I took a mean of 3.2 weeks to achieve 50% healing and 6.1 weeks to fully heal. Thus, healing was significantly faster (p less than 0.05) in group II. In conclusion, the therapeutic efficiency of Unna's compressive bandaging is significantly enhanced by the adjunctive sclerotherapy of adjacent venous channels.