A comparison of colour duplex ultrasound with venography and varicography in the assessment of varicose veins.
Ninety-three legs in 68 consecutive patients presenting for preoperative assessment of varicose veins were examined by a combination of ascending venography with varicography and also by colour duplex ultrasound. Ninety-one to ninety-two per cent of incompetent sapheno-femoral and sapheno-popliteal communications were demonstrated by ascending venography/varicography and 92-95% by ultrasound. Ascending venography/varicography demonstrated 83-90% of incompetent perforators whilst ultrasound demonstrated only 40-63%. We conclude that ultrasound is an accurate method of assessing primary and recurrent sapheno-femoral and sapheno-popliteal incompetence but is of limited value in assessing perforator incompetence. This is a significant limitation of ultrasound in view of the importance of perforator disease, and it is likely that this technique can only be used in combination with other venographic methods.
Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
G W
GW
Phillips
J
J
Paige
M P
MP
Molan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D012008:Recurrence; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*