Venous hemodynamic abnormalities in patients with leg ulceration

Abstract

Purpose: Venous ulceration in the leg has been predominantly associated with deep venous insufficiency, although a few reports have implicated the superficial veins. The aim of this study was to identify the distribution of valvular incompetence in patients with active leg ulceration.

Patients and methods: Color flow duplex imaging (CFDI) ultrasonography was used to evaluate the entire venous system--superficial, perforator and deep--from groin to ankle in 112 limbs of 94 patients with venous leg ulcers.

Results: Seventy two limbs (64%) had multisystem incompetence and 36 (32%) had one system involved only, whereas in 4 limbs (4%) there was no venous incompetence. Deep venous reflux exclusively was present in 7 limbs (6%) and the perforator system alone was involved only in 3 limbs (3%). However, isolated superficial incompetence was seen in 26 extremities (23%) and combination of superficial with perforator system alone in 23 (21%). In addition, reflux overall in the superficial system (alone and in combination with perforator and deep systems) was seen in 94 limbs (84%). The most common pattern (28%) of abnormality was reflux in all systems, superficial, perforator, and deep.

Conclusions: The results of this study show that variable combined patterns account for over two thirds of patients with ulceration. No comprehensive surgical policy for alleviating ulceration can be justified; we suggest that a complete evaluation of all venous systems from groin to ankle with CFDI ultrasonography in patients with venous ulceration is practical on a routine basis and will be particularly valuable before surgery in order to target intervention at specific incompetent sites.