title: Pregnancy-dependent changes in the vein width of the lower extremities in venous insufficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to analyze the changes in the width of selected veins in the lower limbs during pregnancy and puerperium, with or without venous insufficiency (VI) diagnosed at the first trimester
  
  
  METHODS
  the group of 100 pregnant was divided into two subgroups with or without VI. The examination was performed, namely between 11-14th, 18-22nd, 28-32nd weeks of gestation and in 6th week of the puerperium. The sonographic examination included the measurement of the transverse diameter (TD) of the common femoral vein (CFV), the superficial femoral vein (SFV) and the popliteal vein (PV). The changes in the vessel width during pregnancy and puerperium were compared in both groups. Moreover the changes of analyzed ultrasound parameters between the two groups in the 4 analyzed time periods were compared to the first trimester results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there was a statistically significant increase in the TD of CFV with the highest values in the third trimester and significantly higher in the puerperium compared to the first visit. TD in all analyzed stages of pregnancy in the group with VI was significantly higher SFV and PV were not statistically different between the groups in any of the analyzed periods. Average TD of these vessels was higher in the third trimester decreasing gradually during the postpartum period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The average TD was highest in the third trimester decreasing during the postpartum period. In VI group a full return of TD to the values observed in the first trimester was not observed in the puerperium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland. mariolaropacka@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ropacka-Lesiak
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kasperczak
authors.forename: Grzegorz H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Breborowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D011152:Popliteal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult