title: Sclerotherapy: it is back and better.
abstract: With the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of polidocanol in the United States, there has been a resurgence of interest in sclerotherapy. Despite the popularity of laser therapy, sclerotherapy remains the gold standard for treating spider and reticular veins. Although this traditional method of treatment has been around for more than 100 years, better sclerosing agents and newer techniques have made sclerotherapy safer and more efficacious than ever before. This article is a primer for physicians interested in updating their skills in sclerotherapy. It reviews common sclerosants, sclerotherapy techniques, patient evaluation, complications, and recent advancements in sclerotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, C340 Medical Sciences I, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. margaret.mann@gmail.com
authors.forename: Margaret W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000075202:Contraindications; D006801:Humans; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000601:surgery; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000628:therapy; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols