title: Sclerosing foam in the treatment of varicose veins and telangiectases: history and analysis of safety and complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the use of sclerosing foam in the treatment of varicose veins, to describe the different techniques of foam preparation, and to report the complications of our 3-year experience with this treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 1997 to the end of October 2000, 453 patients were treated with a sclerosing foam for large, medium, and minor varicosities with sodium tetradecylsulfate (STS) or polidocanol (POL). A first group of 257 patients (90 for minor varicosities and 167 for medium to large veins) received a sclerosing foam according to the Monfreux technique. From December 1999 to October 2000, 196 patients were treated with a sclerosing foam prepared according to Tessari's method (36 for minor size veins or teleangectasias and 170 for medium-large veins). Every patient was studied with (color-flow) duplex scanning before and after the treatment and large vein injections were administered under duplex guide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The immediate success rate was 88.1% in the first group for the medium-large veins. In the same districts we registered an early success rate in 93.3% for the patients treated with the Tessari's method. The complication rate (mostly minor complications) was 8.5% in the first group and 7.1% in the second group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of sclerosing foam may become an established therapy in the treatment of varicose veins with a high success rate, low cost, and low major complication rate. According to our actual experience and knowledge, the safe amount of foam should not exceed the 3-ml limit, but further advancements could come from standardization of the foam preparation technique.
authors: Studio Flebologico, Incisa Valdarno, Florence, Italy. alef@dada.it
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Frullini
authors: Attilio
authors: A
authors: Cavezzi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012981:Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012981:Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate