title: The reproducibility of the ratio of volume flow in the common femoral vein and artery for quantification of the severity of venous insufficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ratio of volume flow in the common femoral vein and artery denoted as venous-arterial Flowindex (VAFI) is significantly increased in venous insufficiency according the clinical grade of the disease. This study was done to investigate the reliability and reproducibility of VAFI as quantitative pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 43 patients with varicose veins C4-6 EPAS,D,PPR (PVV), 40 with postthrombotic syndrome C4-6 ESAS,D,PPR,O (PTS) and 48 healthy volunteers volume flow in the common femoral vein (VFV) and artery (VFA) were measured by duplex. Division of VFV by VFA calculated VAFI. VAFI-measurement was repeated 5 times at an interval of ten minutes in 63 subjects (23 PVV, 20 PTS, 20 healthy) and it was performed at three different days in 68 subjects (20 PVV, 20 PTS, 28 healthy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean VAFI +/- standard deviation was 1.39 +/- 0.26 in PVV, 1.42 +/- 0.26 in PTS and 0.93 +/- 0.13 in healthy veins (p < 0.001). VAFI remained stable and significantly increased (p < 0.001) in PVV and PTS compared to healthy veins during 40 minutes and also within three different days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The venous-arterial flowindex VAFI is a reproducible pattern of the hemodynamic severity in venous insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Division of Phlebology, Dermatological Medical Center, University of Heidelberg, Germany. birgit_kahle@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kahle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hennies
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pritsch
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011186:Postphlebitic Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology