title: Colour Doppler ultrasound in diagnosing venous insufficiency. A comparison to descending phlebography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the technique of ultrasound colour Doppler in diagnosing venous valvular incompetence in the lower leg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of clinical physiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 patients (56 legs) referred with a clinical diagnosis of deep venous insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Colour Doppler and descending phlebography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using phlebography as a "gold standard" the accuracy of the colour Doppler technique varied between 93% and 55% for the different veins. For the superficial and deep femoral veins, the popliteal vein and the long and short saphenous veins the accuracy was between 90% and 70%. The lowest correlation was found for the deep calf veins (55-66% accuracy).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Colour Doppler was found to be a suitable technique for non-invasive investigation of patients with suspected venous insufficiency. Since the colour Doppler technique is non-invasive it is well suited for follow-up studies. Descending phlebography should be reserved as an adjunct technique in patients scheduled for valve reconstructive surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Ostra Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kälebo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lukes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sivertsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Risberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology