Treatment of acute superficial thrombosis and follow-up by computerized thermography

Abstract

Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is a common complication of varicose veins. Treatment may be surgical by removal of the superficial clots under local anesthetic or medical in association with elastic compression and mobilization. In this study 83 patients with SVT were randomised in treatments groups: A--superficial thrombectomy and elastic compression (EC); B--Ca Heparin (0.5 mgs b.i.b.) + EC; C--Venoruton (1 g, t.i.d.) + EC; D--Venoruton (1 g, t.i.d.) after superficial thrombectomy + EC; E--elastic compression. All treatments were applied for 8 weeks. The evolution of SVT was studied by a system, based on thermography, which analyse by a computerized system the variation of the hyperthermic areas (HA) on thermograms. This was associated with subjective and objective clinical evaluation. Results indicate a decrease of HA in all groups but patients treated with superficial thrombectomy show a significantly (p, 0.05) greater and faster reduction of HA. The reduction of HA produced by Venoruton was also significantly greater (p less than 0.05) than that observed in patients treated by Ca Heparin or elastic compression and it determined also a faster and greater (p less than 0.05) decrease of HA after thrombectomy. These results were confirmed by clinical observations. In conclusion results from this study indicate a positive effect of Venoruton in SVT in determining a faster decrease of hyperthermic areas probably by decreasing local inflammation.