Quantitative air-plethysmographic venous function and ambulatory venous pressure in patients with primary varicose...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between air-plethysmographic volume parameters under standard exercise loading and foot venous pressure parameters under ideal exercise loading in patients with primary varicose veins.

Seventy-one lower limbs in 39 patients with primary varicose veins and 8 lower limbs in 4 healthy controls were examined. The patients included 12 males and 27 females, ranging in age from 36 to 79 years. Eighteen limbs were asymptomatic (class 0) limbs, 28 limbs had symptoms of swelling or heaviness (class 1), and 25 had skin lesions (class 2+3). The patients and controls were examined with duplex scanning, air-plethysmography, and ambulatory foot venous pressure measurement.

The mean ambulatory venous pressure (AVP) was significantly higher in the class 2+3 limbs than in the other classes, but it was not significantly higher in class 1 than in class 0. There were no significant differences between the class 2+3 limbs and class 1 limbs in any of the air-plethysmographic parameters. However, the VFI in the class 0 limbs was significantly different from that in the other 2 groups. Among all parameters examined, the venous filling index (VFI) was the most closely correlated with the AVP. All air-plethysmographic parameters were negatively correlated with the VRT.

Among non-invasive air-plethysmographic volume parameters, VFI is the most reliable indicator for quantitative evaluation of calf pump function.