title: Prevalence of Non-thrombotic Iliac Vein Lesions in Patients with Unilateral Primary Varicose Veins.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A role of non-thrombotic iliac vein lesions (NIVLs) in the development of primary varicose veins (PVVs) has not been studied. It seems that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the most accurate method to diagnose these lesions. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the presence of NIVLs and PVVs and the frequency of NIVLs in asymptomatic and PVV limbs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with unilateral PVV and great saphenous vein incompetence who were qualified for surgical treatment were analyzed. Nineteen patients (57%) presented with varicose veins on the right side.
  
  
  METHODS
  During varicose vein surgery, IVUS of the iliac veins and the inferior vena cava was performed. In all patients the iliocaval outflow was interrogated by IVUS in both the limb with and without PVVs. The PVV side was accessed through the surgically exposed sapheno-femoral junction and the non-PVV side was accessed by an ultrasound guided percutaneous puncture of the common femoral vein. In both the common iliac (CIVs) and the external iliac veins (EIVs) the minimal and reference lumen area were measured and the percentage stenosis calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no intra- or post-procedural complications. The minimal lumen area (MLA) was smaller and the stenosis of the CIV was greater on the left side than the right: median 57 and 108 mm(2) (p = 0.001) and 69 and 34% (p < 0.001), respectively. However when the PVV and non-PVV sides were compared, no statistically significant differences of MLA or stenosis of the CIV were found: 88 and 67 mm(2) (p = 0.38) and 44% and 51% (p = 0.40), respectively. With regard to EIVs, no statistically significant differences in either MLA or stenosis between the left and right and PVV and non-PVV sides were found. The frequency of ≥50% stenosis of CIV and EIV in the PVV limbs and the non-PVV limbs was 42% and 48% and 51% and 39%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NIVLs are common in patients with PVV but do not seem to be associated with the presence of ipsilateral PVV.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Ł
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Dzieciuchowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krzyżański
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. Electronic address: lukaszkruszyna@poczta.onet.pl.
authors.forename: Ł
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Kruszyna
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Krasinski
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oszkinis
mesh_terms: D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007084:Iliac Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Intravascular ultrasound; Non-thrombotic iliac vein lesion; Primary varicose veins