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Saphenous vein thrombophlebitis (SVT): a deceptively benign disease.

PURPOSE: The association between deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the hypercoagulable state is a well-established entity. However, the association between saphenous vein thrombophlebitis and coagulation abnormalities has not been investigated. Although thrombosis of varicose veins typically runs a benign course, phlebitis of the saphenous system may propagate to the deep system or saphenofemoral junction that requires more aggressive therapy. Given the potential similarity in clinical outcome between saphenous vein thrombophlebitis (SVT) and DVT, we have investigated the coagulation profile of patients presenting with isolated SVT. METHODS: Seventeen consecutive patients who presented to our vascular laboratory with isolated SVT had a coagulation profile performed that included antithrombin III (AT III), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) antigen and activity levels, activated protein C (APC) resistance, factor V DNA mutation, and coagulation factors II and X. All patients had duplex scans performed on both the superficial and deep venous systems. Patients with SVT only were treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and warm soaks as outpatients, whereas those patients found to have DVT or a clot at the saphenofemoral junction were fully anticoagulated with heparin and coumadin therapy. All 17 patients had at least one repeat coagulation profile performed up to 5 months after their SVT occurrence to ensure that the results of hypercoagulability were not transient. RESULTS: Ten (59%) of the 17 patients with SVT had abnormal coagulation profiles on initial presentation. All 10 patients who were hypercoagulable had repeat tests and 6 (35%) remained abnormal. Four patients who had abnormal results converted to normal values. Seven patients with normal coagulation profiles on initial presentation had repeat tests and all remained normal. CONCLUSION: The incidence of the hypercoagulable state in patients with SVT is high. Thirty-five percent of patients with isolated SVT had consistently abnormal coagulation profiles. Patients with SVT may be prone to the development of DVT or saphenofemoral junction thrombophlebitis and should be closely followed after the initial diagnosis of hypercoagulability.

Adult↗

Relief of obstructive pelvic venous symptoms with endoluminal stenting.

PURPOSE: To select patients for percutaneous transluminal stenting of chronic postthrombotic pelvic venous obstructions (CPPVO), we evaluated the clinical symptoms in a cohort of candidates and in a series of successfully treated patients. METHODS: The symptoms of 42 patients (39 women) with CPPVO (38 left iliac; average history, 18 years) were recorded, and the venous anatomy was studied by means of duplex scanning, subtraction venography, and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Successfully stented patients were controlled by means of duplex scanning and assessment of symptoms. RESULTS: The typical symptoms of CPPVO were reported spontaneously by 24% of patients and uncovered by means of a targeted interview in an additional 47%. Of 42 patients, 15 had venous claudication, four had neurogenic claudication (caused by dilated veins in the spinal canal that arise from the collateral circulation), and 11 had both symptoms. Twelve patients had no specific symptoms. Placement of a stent was found to be technically feasible in 25 patients (60%), was attempted in 14 patients, and was primarily successful in 12 patients. One stent occluded within the first week. All other stents were fully patent after a mean of 15 months (range, 1 to 43 months). Satisfaction was high in the patients who had the typical symptoms, but low in those who lacked them. CONCLUSION: Venous claudication and neurogenic claudication caused by venous collaterals in the spinal canal are typical clinical features of CPPVO. We recommend searching for these symptoms, because recanalization by means of stenting is often feasible and rewarding.

Adult↗

Mid-term results of endoscopic perforator vein interruption for chronic venous insufficiency: lessons learned from the North American subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery registry. The North American Study Group.

PURPOSE: The safety, feasibility, and early efficacy of subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery (SEPS) for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency were established in a preliminary report. The long-term clinical outcome and the late complications after SEPS are as yet undetermined. METHODS: The North American Subfascial Endoscopic Perforator Surgery registry collected information on 148 SEPS procedures that were performed in 17 centers in the United States and Canada between August 1, 1993, and February 15, 1996. The data analysis in this study focused on mid-term outcome in 146 patients. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six patients (79 men and 67 women; mean age, 56 years; range, 27 to 87 years) underwent SEPS. One hundred and one patients (69%) had active ulcers (class 6), and 21 (14%) had healed ulcers (class 5). One hundred and three patients (71%) underwent concomitant venous procedures (stripping, 70; high ligation, 17; varicosity avulsion alone, 16). There were no deaths or pulmonary embolisms. One deep venous thrombosis occurred at 2 months. The follow-up periods averaged 24 months (range, 1 to 53 months). Cumulative ulcer healing at 1 year was 88% (median time to healing, 54 days). Concomitant ablation of superficial reflux and lack of deep venous obstruction predicted ulcer healing (P <.05). Clinical score improved from 8.93 to 3.98 at the last follow-up (P <. 0001). Cumulative ulcer recurrence at 1 year was 16% and at 2 years was 28% (standard error, < 10%). Post-thrombotic limbs had a higher 2-year cumulative recurrence rate (46%) than did those limbs with primary valvular incompetence (20%; P <.05). Twenty-eight of the 122 patients (23%) who had class 5 or class 6 ulcers before surgery had an active ulcer at the last follow-up examination. CONCLUSIONS: The interruption of perforators with ablation of superficial reflux is effective in decreasing the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency and rapidly healing ulcers. Recurrence or new ulcer development, however, is still significant, particularly in post-thrombotic limbs. The reevaluation of the indications for SEPS is warranted because operations in patients without previous deep vein thrombosis are successful but operations in those patients with deep vein thrombosis are less successful. Operations on patients with deep vein occlusion have poor outcomes.

Adult↗

Blood flow in the perimalleolar skin in relation to posture in patients with venous hypertension.

The resting and standing perimalleolar skin blood flow and venoarteriolar response have been studied in 20 patients with postphlebitic limbs and 25 normal volunteers using laser-Doppler flowmetry. In postphlebitic limbs the venoarteriolar reflex was impaired and both the resting and standing skin blood flow were increased, suggesting the presence of local vasoparalysis similar to that previously observed in diabetics with peripheral neuropathy.

Ankle↗

Treatment of venous thrombo-embolism.

Clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) should be initially treated with heparin, and an objective diagnosis obtained. In pregnancy, heparin is usually continued until delivery, following which warfarin is substituted. In the absence of pregnancy, warfarin is substituted and usually continued for 3 months after a first thrombo-embolic event. Low molecular weight heparins are increasingly preferred to unfractionated heparin in non-pregnant patients with acute DVT, because of efficacy when given by daily subcutaneous injection without routine monitoring of coagulation assays, greater efficacy, and lower risks of major bleeding and of mortality. Unfractionated heparin requires monitoring by the APTT (target ratio 1.5-2.5), and warfarin requires monitoring by the International Normalized Ratio (INR) of the prothrombin time (target ratio 2.0-3.0). Graduated elastic compression stockings reduce post-thrombotic leg symptoms after DVT. Secondary prevention is important in future high risk situations.

Anticoagulants↗

Venous function assessed during a 5 year period after acute ilio-femoral venous thrombosis treated with anticoagulation.

To determine the chronological changes of venous physiology following major thromboses, 20 patients were repeatedly examined for over 5 years after an acute ilio-femoral thrombosis which was treated with conventional anticoagulation. Radionuclide angiography showed that 70% of the patients had obstructive lesions of the iliac vein with only minor changes occurring from 6 months to 5 years. In spite of this, the plethysmographic maximum venous outflow increased from 31 to 45 ml/min/100 ml (P less than 0.001). The foot volumetric reflux did not change with time and about half of the patients had abnormal values. Venous reflux assessed by the refill time of foot vein pressure, deteriorated with time (P less than 0.05), and at 5 years all but one patient had a refill time less than 20 s. The muscle pump function, examined by foot volumetry, was abnormally low in about half of the patients throughout the study. The ambulatory foot vein pressure was constantly pathological (greater than 60 mmHg) in half of the patients and only two of 18 patients had normal values (less than 45 mmHg) at 5 years. Five patients with thromboses involving only the proximal veins had better physiological results than 15 patients with thromboses that extended to the peripheral veins. Three patients who developed venous claudication had iliac vein obstruction and an impaired venous outflow and three patients who developed venous ulcers had venous reflux and severe venous hypertension. Although venous outflow continuously improves following ilio-femoral thromboses, valvular competence and muscle pump function are constantly pathological, creating severe venous hypertension with a risk of post-thrombotic sequelae.

Anticoagulants↗

The role of sympathectomy in current surgical practice.

Historically sympathectomy has been employed in the treatment of a variety of disparate disorders but in most there is little if any objective clinical evidence of its efficacy. Review of the literature confirms that sympathectomy provides an effective and permanent cure for hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet, and at present palmar hyperhidrosis is the major indication for its regular use. Sympathetic denervation of the hands is currently most easily achieved with minimal morbidity by thoracoscopic ablation of the second thoracic ganglion. Some evidence testifies to the efficacy of sympathectomy in the rare patients with true major causalgia. Clinical experience suggests that Raynaud's phenomenon in the feet can be usefully ameliorated by sympathectomy but in the hands any benefit is short lived and there is no effect on the prognosis of the disease. A weak case can be made for sympathectomy for ischaemic rest pain when arterial surgery is impractical but there is no reliable evidence to support its use in Buerger's disease, intermittent claudication, diabetic vascular disease or ischaemic ulceration or gangrene.

Causalgia↗

Comparative evaluation of three ambulatory plethysmographic devices as regards accuracy and handling in daily practice.

We compared a computed strain gauge plethysmograph (SGP1) with a Gutmann strain gauge plethysmograph (SGP2) and a photoplethysmograph (PPG) in 24 normal and 12 radiologically proven postphlebitic limbs with respect to assessment of the calf pump function, discrimination between normal and pathologic values, and handling. Recovery time (RT50), refilling volume (RV) and the Index (RT50xRV) were measured at the ankle and the calf in each limb after 20 dorsiflexions of the feet in the sitting position. The PPG device could only measure RT50. There was a strong positive correlation in RT50, RV and Index values between SGP1 and SGP2 at the ankle and at the calf (p less than 0.001), but none in RT50 ankle and calf values between PPG and SGP1 (p = 0.1) and PPG and SGP2 (p = 0.1). The comparison between normal and postphlebitic limbs revealed significant differences for all three values RT50, RV and Index only for SGP1 ankle measurements (p less than 0.02, p less than 0.01, respectively). Ankle RT50 values were significantly longer than calf RT50 values for both strain gauge devices (p less than 0.01), where PPG results were not influenced by the site of measurement. The average number of tests required to obtain a valid curve in each limb at the ankle and calf was lowest for SGP1 measurements. Vein calf pump function is easily and accurately assessed by SGP1 ankle measurements. However a threshold limit between normal and pathologic values can not be defined either for RT50 or for RV values in the individual case, and the creation of an Index adds little to solve this problem.

Adult↗

[Venous and lymphatic reasons for edema--the swollen leg from the angiologist's point of view].

Peripheral edema develop as a consequence of imbalance in the processes of filtration, resorption and lymphatic transport in the capillary bed. Venous hypertension and impaired lymphatic function belong to the most important underlying pathomechanisms. Chronic venous insufficiency as a result of valve degeneration as well as venous obstruction in acute deep thrombosis lead to venous hypertension and to an increase of filtration pressure. As venous diseases are frequent, they are one of the most reasons for a swollen leg in clinical everyday life. Primary and secondary disturbances of the lymphatic system are another important reason for interstitial liquid retention. Although there are about 140 millions of people suffering from lymphedema worldwide, the disease is still underdiagnosed.

Capillary Permeability↗

Resistance to activated protein C due to factor V Leiden mutation: high prevalence in patients with post-thrombotic leg ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Activated protein C (APC) resistance is the most frequently diagnosed heritable thrombophilic defect predisposing to thrombosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of APC resistance due to factor V Leiden mutation in patients with leg ulcers. METHODS: Within a 2-year-period 100 consecutive patients with leg ulcers were examined for factor V Leiden mutation. RESULTS: APC resistance due to factor V Leiden mutation was detected in 19 of 53 patients (36%) with post-thrombotic leg ulcers and in three of 47 patients (6%) with ulcers caused by primary varicosis. In a healthy control group APC resistance due to factor V Leiden mutation was found in five of 96 (5%) volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: In view of this high prevalence of APC resistance of 36%, which has never previously been reported, patients with post-thrombotic leg ulcers should be investigated for APC resistance.

Activated Protein C Resistance↗

Endovascular surgery in the treatment of chronic primary and post-thrombotic iliac vein obstruction.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the results and complications of endovascular surgery in limbs with post-thrombotic and non-thrombotic disease and to detail some technical aspects of the procedure. DESIGN: A single centre, prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1997 and August 1999, 139 consecutive lower extremities with chronic iliac venous obstruction (61 limbs with primary disease [MTS] and 78 with post-thrombotic disease [PTS]) were treated by balloon dilation and stenting. History, clinical examination, procedure and follow-up data were recorded. RESULTS: Mortality was zero. Non-thrombotic complication rate was only 3%. Postoperative (8%, 6/78) and late occlusion (3%, 2/69) occurred only in post-thrombotic limbs. Primary, primary-assisted and secondary cumulative patency rates of the stented area at 2 years were 52%, 88% and 90%, respectively, in the PTS group as compared to 60%, 100% and 100% in the MTS group. Clinical improvement in pain and swelling was significant in both groups. Half of active venous ulcers healed after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic iliac vein obstruction appears to be a symptomatic lesion that can be treated safely and effectively by endovascular surgery regardless of aetiology. Generous use of IVUS is suggested in both diagnosis and treatment since phlebography is unreliable. The clinical improvement was significant in both groups; however, more excessive neointimal hyperplasia and a higher early and late occlusion rate were observed in post-thrombotic disease. Stenting after balloon dilation is advised in all venoplasties; stents should be inserted well into the IVC when treating iliocaval junction stenosis. A wide-diameter (16 mm) stent is recommended. The stent should cover the entire lesion as outlined by the IVUS.

Adolescent↗

Pathophysiology and diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.

Lower-limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT) affects between 1% to 2% of hospitalized patients. These thrombi disrupt the vascular integrity of the lower limbs and are the source of emboli that kill approximately 200,000 patients each year in the United States. The causes of thrombosis include vessel wall damage, stasis or low flow, and hypercoagulability. These factors favor clot formation by disrupting the balance of the opposing coagulative and fibrinolytic systems. The symptoms and signs of venous thrombosis are caused by obstruction to venous outflow, vascular inflammation, or pulmonary embolization. About 70% of patients referred for clinically suspected venous thrombosis, however, do not have the diagnosis confirmed by objective testing. Among the 30% who have venous thrombosis, about 85% have proximal vein thrombosis, and the remainder have thrombosis confined to the calf. Physicians cannot rely on signs and symptoms to make the diagnosis of DVT and must depend on imaging studies to guide treatment. Patients with proximal vein thrombosis who are inadequately treated have a 47% frequency of recurrent venous thromboembolism over 3 months. In contrast, clinically detectable recurrence occurs in less than 2% of patients with proximal vein thrombosis if an adequate anticoagulant response is achieved. Of the diagnostic procedures for DVT, venography is the only invasive test of proven value, and ultrasonographic (US) studies are the most commonly used noninvasive modaity. Other procedures are occasionally used to diagnose DVT, including impedance plethysmography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. US examinations are noninvasive, they are rapidly obtained, and they can be performed serially. In symptomatic patients, venous US is sensitive and specific for proximal DVT; however, US is insensitive to calf vein thrombosis and to asymptomatic DVT occurring after surgery. Patients with symptoms of recurrent DVT also can present a difficult diagnostic problem. Only about 20% to 30% of these individuals actually have the disease; the rest have symptoms arising from chronic venous insufficiency or from any of the causes of lower extremity pain. After an acute episode, up to 50% of patients have compression ultrasound abnormalities for 6 months that are indistinguishable from the original findings of DVT. Hence, there are a significant number of patients and clinical circumstances in which the diagnosis of DVT is difficult. 99mTc-radiolabeled peptides that target the molecular biology of thrombosis should aid in the management of the disease, particularly in asymptomatic patients at high risk, in patients with recurrent symptoms, in patients with active DVT in the calf and/or pelvis, and in patients with intermediate- or low-probability lung scans.

Blood Coagulation↗

[Vacuum therapy in a pre- and postsurgical ulcera crurum].

Chronic wounds are often a diagnostic as well as a therapeutic problem. Three case reports depi important differential diagnoses. The importance and efficacy of vacuum assisted closure in a presurgical treatment as well as after mesh graft transplanation will be described.

Adult↗

[Prevention and treatment of thrombosis in pregnancy].

Pregnancy and especially delivery and the puerperium are associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic disease. Intravenous high dose heparin is the therapy of choice for manifest thromboembolic disease in pregnancy. However, high-dose heparin fails to prevent postthrombotic chronic venous insufficiency in more than one-third of the cases. Low-dose heparin may be used for antithrombotic prophylaxis during pregnancy. However, low-dose heparin may induce a substantial loss of bone density in up to 30% of cases and may be complicated by heparin-associated thrombopenia in up to 2%. This review discusses strategies to reduce these considerable risks. Prospective studies suggest that the risk of recurrence after prior deep vein thrombosis may be somewhat overestimated. These data suggest new therapeutic options in women with no risk factors other than a personal history of thrombosis. Improved diagnostic techniques may contribute to a better evaluation of the individual risk by assessing possible underlying problems such as resistance to activated protein C or deficiencies of coagulation inhibitors. Also, duration of prophylactic anticoagulation may be reduced by targeting treatment to periods of increased risk such as immobilisation, dehydration, surgery, delivery and the puerperium. Recently, evidence has been provided indicating that the use of low molecular weight heparins may be associated with reduced loss of bone density and a significantly attenuated risk of heparin-associated thrombopenia.

Anticoagulants↗