Ultrasonographic analysis in vitro of parietal thickness of lower limb varicose veins.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of ultrasound (US) to measure the parietal thickness of varicose veins.


METHODS
In a blind in vitro analysis, 28 great saphenous veins, obtained after stripping surgery from 28 patients with chronic venous insufficiency, were examined with a digital US scanner ATL-HDI5000, linear 5-1 to 2-MHz broadband probe, compound imaging technique and analogic-digital zooming. We obtained one to three progressive measurements for each vein wall (total 67 parietal thicknesses). The samples, fixed in formalin, were sent to the pathology laboratory: sections were obtained at the same level of the sonographic planes, and images were obtained by digital camera mounted on an optical microscope. Measurements obtained at histology were considered as the gold standard. K-statistic was applied to compare sonographic and histologic measurements.


RESULTS
Considering only the hypoechoic wall portion, 29/29 (100%) diagnoses of hypotrophy (K=0.91), 19/22 (86%) diagnoses of normotrophy (K=0,47) and 12/16 (75%) diagnoses of hypertrophy (K=0.7) were obtained by sonography.


CONCLUSIONS
In our preliminary experience, the in vitro study of varicose veins allows precise, at least morphological, detection of hypotrophic walls. If these preliminary data are confirmed in vivo, sonography could be used to discriminate patients eligible for conservative treatment instead of surgery.
Bruschi
E
E
Institute of Radiology, University of Udine, Piazzale S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.
Como
G
G
Zuiani
C
C
Segatto
E
E
Rocco
M
M
Biasi
G
G
Bazzocchi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014680:Veins / Q000473:pathology