Impaired venous hemodynamics in a minority of patients with chronic leg ulcers due to sickle cell anemia.
BACKGROUND
Chronic or recurrent leg ulceration occurs in 25% of sickle cell anemia patients, but not in the remaining 75%. Doppler studies of venous function were normal in 16 sickle cell anemia patients with leg ulcers.


METHODS
Venous Duplex Ultrasound was used to study 33 sickle cell anemia patients with chronic leg ulcers.


RESULTS
Six of the 33 patients had venous reflux in at least one leg.


CONCLUSIONS
Venous insufficiency may contribute to the development of leg ulcers in a minority of sickle cell anemia patients. A minority of sickle cell anemia patients with chronic leg ulcers can be shown to have leg venous reflux by duplex ultrasound imaging.
Chalchal
H
H
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, State University of New York, USA.
Rodino
W
W
Hussain
S
S
Haq
I
I
Panetta
T
T
Solomon
W
W
Gillette
P
P
Braverman
A S
AS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*