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Quantitative venous severity scoring using the venous arterial flow index by duplex sonography.
Birgit Kahle1, Felix Hennies, Steffen Hummel
1Division of Phlebology, Phlebological and Dermatological Surgery, Dermatological Medical Center, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Birgit_Kahle@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Summary
The venous arterial flow index (VAFI) quantifies venous insufficiency severity by correlating common femoral vein and artery blood flow. This index shows significant differences between healthy and diseased limbs, aiding in hemodynamic assessment.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Hemodynamics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Blood volume flow, calculated from velocity and vessel area, reveals hemodynamic patterns.
- Duplex sonography is a key tool for assessing these hemodynamic parameters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the venous arterial flow index (VAFI) for quantifying venous insufficiency severity.
- To correlate common femoral vein (VFV) and artery (VFA) volume flow using VAFI.
Main Methods:
- 163 patients with conditions like postthrombotic syndrome and varicose veins were studied.
- Duplex sonography measured mean blood flow velocity and vessel diameter.
- Volume flow was calculated, and the VAFI was derived by dividing venous and arterial flow data.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in VFV and VAFI were observed between varicose veins and healthy limbs (P <.0001).
- Mean VAFI values were 1.465 for PTS, 1.48 for complete varicosity, 1.31 for segmental varicosity, and 0.87 for healthy individuals.
- Mean VFV was highest in PTS (0.50 L/min) and lowest in healthy individuals (0.36 L/min).
Conclusions:
- The VAFI effectively quantifies the hemodynamic severity of venous insufficiency.
- This index provides a valuable metric for assessing venous disease progression and impact.