title: A new option for endovascular treatment of leg ulcers caused by venous insufficiency with fluoroscopically guided sclerotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ulcers of lower legs are the most bothersome complication of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of endovascular fluoroscopically guided sclerotherapy for the treatment of venous ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight limbs in 35 patients with crural venous ulcers were treated with guided sclerotherapy under the control of fluoroscopy. Patients with non-healing ulcers in the course of chronic venous insufficiency, with and without features of past deep vein thrombosis, were qualified for the study. Doppler ultrasound and dynamic venography with mapping of venous flow were performed. Ambulatory venous pressure measurements, leg circumference and varicography were performed just before and following the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 84% of cases, ulcers were treated successfully and healed. Patients with post-thrombotic syndrome (n = 17) healed in 13 (76.5%) cases, whereas patients without post-thrombotic syndrome (n = 21) healed in 19 (90.5%) cases. The mean time of healing of an ulcer for all patients was 83 days (in the first group it was 121 days and in the second group 67 days). Recurrence of an ulcer was observed in 10 limbs: 6 cases in the first group and 4 cases in the second group. Occurrence of deep vein thrombosis associated with the procedure was not observed. Temporary complications were reported but none giving a serious clinical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endovascular fluoroscopically guided sclerotherapy can be an alternative method of treatment of venous ulcers, especially in situations when surgical procedures or other options of treatment are impossible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcarek
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery and Biomaterials Research, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rybak
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jargiello
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Plastic, Endocrine and General Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University, Police Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Łokaj
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Plastic, Endocrine and General Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University, Police Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Czapla
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of General and Dental Radiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sroczyk-Jaszczyńska
keywords: endovascular treatment; sclerotherapy; venous ulcer