Patterns of saphenous reflux in men with chronic venous insufficiency

Abstract

Background

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is frequent and predominantly affects women, but there is a lack of information about saphenous vein reflux in the male population.

Objective

To identify different patterns of reflux in the great and small saphenous veins of men and correlate them with clinical presentation graded according to the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification.

Methods

A total of 369 lower limbs in 207 men with a clinical diagnosis of primary CVI of the lower limbs were evaluated using vascular ultrasound (VU). The variables analyzed were CEAP clinical classification, patterns of reflux in the great and small saphenous veins, and the correlations between them.

Results

A total of 369 limbs were evaluated and in 72.9% of them the great saphenous vein (GSV) had reflux, predominantly the segmental pattern (33.8%), while in 16% of the lower limbs analyzed the small saphenous vein (SSV) had reflux, among which the most frequent pattern was distal (33.9%). All limbs classified as C4, C5, or C6 had GSV reflux, predominantly proximal (25.64%), while 38.46% had SSV reflux compatible with distal and proximal reflux patterns (33.3%). Reflux was detected at the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) in 7.1% of limbs graded C0 and C1, in 35.6% of C2 and C3 limbs and in 64.1% of C4 to C6 limbs.

Conclusion

The predominant reflux patterns are segmental at the GSV and distal at the SSV. The frequency of SFJ reflux is higher in patients with more advanced CVI.

Keywords:
varicose veins; ultrasonography; reflux