title: Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for treating incompetent great saphenous veins--results of 5 years of analysis and morphologic evolvement study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Varicose veins of the lower leg is a common disease and is associated with long-term morbidity. It has been treated using high ligation with stripping and endovenous laser surgery of the great saphenous vein (GSV).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical outcomes of GSV insufficiency after ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) using 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2005 and 2009, patients with symptomatic varicose veins secondary to GSV insufficiency were enrolled; 3% STS foam was injected into the GSV under ultrasound visualization. Ultrasound examinations and clinical follow-up were performed at 3- to 6-month intervals. Follow-up visits continued through April 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred 88 limbs of 233 patients were enrolled. The mean follow-up interval was 37.8 months. Occlusion was achieved for 89.6% of the incompetent veins in two sessions of UGFS. The mean number of therapy sessions per leg was 1.53. The internal diameters of the treated veins reduced to 66.9% 3 months and 32.7% at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UGFS is effective in sealing incompetent GSV segments. It is a minimally invasive procedure and can be redone several times in cases of recurrence. UGFS is simpler and less painful than stripping surgery and endovenous laser treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chih-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012981:Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000379:methods*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D012981:Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate