Evaluating chronic venous disease with a new venous severity scoring system

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• The Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) was developed to objectively assess venous disease severity.
• Existing clinical classifications like CEAP lack objective test validation.
• This study aimed to validate the VCSS against objective venous ultrasound (US) findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) and venous ultrasound (US) scan abnormalities.
• To determine the VCSS's utility as a screening tool for venous disease.

Main Methods:

• VCSS and venous US scans were performed on 210 patients (420 limbs) from a protein C deficient kindred.
• A single examiner scored VCSS clinically, while another blinded examiner performed US.
• Statistical analysis included odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) to assess the relationship between VCSS and US findings.

Main Results:

• A significant association was observed between VCSS scores and US-detected venous abnormalities.
• Limbs with a VCSS greater than 0 had a 26.5-fold increased likelihood of US abnormalities (OR, 26.5; 95% CI, 11-64).
• The VCSS demonstrated high sensitivity (89.3%) and specificity (76.1%) compared to ultrasonography.

Conclusions:

• The VCSS is a useful screening tool for identifying venous disease, particularly in high-risk populations.
• A VCSS score of 0 strongly suggests the absence of venous disease.
• The VCSS shows good correlation with objective US findings, supporting its clinical utility.