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.
Phillips
G W
GW
Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Paige
J
J
Molan
M P
MP
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*