Recanalisation and ulcer recurrence rates following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to assess vein recanalisation and ulcer recurrence in patients with chronic venous ulceration following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy. METHOD: Open (CEAP 6) or recently healed (CEAP 5) chronic venous leg ulcers were treated with foam sclerotherapy between July 2010 and August 2012. Venous duplex scans were performed two weeks and one and two years post treatment, recording recanalisation and reflux. One- and two-year ulcer recurrence rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 100 legs were treated in 92 patients; 86 were CEAP 5 and 14 were CEAP 6. At two weeks complete or short segment occlusion was demonstrated in 99/100 legs. Complete follow-up was 93% at one year and 88% at two years. Complete and segmental recanalisation with new reflux was recorded in 11/93 (12%) legs and 25/93 (27%) legs, respectively (overall 36/93; 39%) at one year; and 6/88 (7%) legs and 15/88 (17%) legs, respectively (overall 21/88; 24%) at two years. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis shows 64% ulcers healed at 24 weeks and 86% at one year. Ulcer recurrence rate at one and two years was 2.3% and 5.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Over one-third of superficial veins treated with foam sclerotherapy recanalised at one year and just under a quarter of superficial veins recanalised at two years. Despite this, ulcer recurrence rates were low, and recanalisation failed to predict recurrence.

The incidence and characterization of deep vein thrombosis following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy in 1000 legs with superficial venous reflux.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) ranges from 0% to 5.7%. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of DVT following UGFS in a single vascular center. METHODS: Patients undergoing UGFS between December 2005 and September 2011 underwent quality control duplex imaging within 2 weeks of treatment. This was performed by an independent senior vascular technologist, and data were entered on a prospectively maintained database. Deep venous segments assessed included common femoral vein, femoral vein, above- and below-knee popliteal veins, gastrocnemius, and tibial veins. DVT when present was labeled as endovenous foam-induced thrombosis (EFIT) type 1 when thrombus was lining <25% of the lumen of the deep vein; type 2 when thrombus extension was 25% to 50%; type 3 when thrombus extension was 50% to 99%; and type 4 when the deep vein was occluded. RESULTS: A total of 1166 UGFS treatments were performed in 1000 legs (776 patients). Complete occlusion of the treated veins was seen in 84.5% of the legs after one session of treatment. Overall, 17 DVTs were detected (1.5%) with no DVTs detected in legs undergoing multiple treatments. Of the 17 episodes of DVT, 16 legs had DVT following treatment for truncal reflux (658 legs; 2.43%). Seven DVTs were EFIT type 1, two were type 2, two were type 3, and five were type 4. One DVT was seen in the gastrocnemius vein alone. Two of 1166 treatments (0.2%) resulted in a symptomatic DVT, both of which were EFIT type 4. On regression analysis, there was an increase in the risk of DVT when ≥10 mL of foam was injected (odds ratio, 4.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-14.9; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of duplex-detected DVT following foam sclerotherapy is low and may be associated with the injection of ≥10 mL of foam.