title: Anatomical and physiological changes in the venous system of lower limbs in pregnant women and findings associated with the symptomatology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quantify the volume and diameter of veins in the lower limbs of primigravidae and associate the presence of venous signs and symptoms with the vascular measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study assessed 64 lower limbs of 32 healthy women of whom 16 were primigravidae between 22 and 36 weeks pregnant, and 16 nulligravidae. The women were submitted to physical assessment, air plethysmography and vascular ultrasound. The volumes and diameters of the main veins in the lower limbs were compared between pregnant and non-pregnant women. In the group of pregnant women, the attempt was also made to associate such measurements to the presence of vascular signs and symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average venous volume of the lower limbs (110.1 ± 30.2 and 94.7 ± 27.3 mL; p = 0.036), as well as the diameters of the common femoral (12.72 ± 2.27 and 10.14 ± 1.24 mm; p < 0.0001), saphenous (4.81 ± 1.15 and 3.55 ± 0.98 mm; p < 0.0001) and popliteal (6.87 ± 1.68 and 5.36 ± 1.07 mm; p < 0.0001) veins were, respectively, greater in the pregnant women compared with the control group. In pregnant women with venous stasis symptoms, a venous diameter of the saphenous vein compared to those without no symptoms (5.05 ± 1.19 and 4.09 ± 0.70 mm; p = 0.011) was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anatomical and functional changes in the venous system during pregnancy were detected by the air plethysmography and the vascular ultrasound in primigravidae. In pregnant women, the presence of venous stasis symptoms found an anatomical and functional substrate detected in the differences in diameter of the saphenous vein.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Alfredo Balena, 190-4°. andar, Belo Horizonte, CEP 30.130.100, Brazil. vitoriab23@yahoo.com.br
authors: Vitória Brito
authors: VB
authors: Goulart
authors: Antonio Carlos Vieira
authors: AC
authors: Cabral
authors: Zilma Silveira
authors: ZS
authors: Reis
authors: Túlio Pinho
authors: TP
authors: Navarro
authors: Silvia Lúcia
authors: SL
authors: Alves
authors: Paulo Roberto Toledo
authors: PR
authors: de Miranda
authors: Alberto Lourençoni
authors: AL
authors: Sarquis
authors: Cezar Alencar
authors: CA
authors: de Lima Rezende
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography; D011152:Popliteal Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D054070:Postthrombotic Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult