[Peri-capillary fibrin cuffs--an O2 diffusion block?]

In 42 patients with a chronic venous insufficiency Stage I-III transcutaneous oxygen tension was measured above the medial ankle and the leg ulcer edges respectively at 44 degrees C. The measurement point was biopsied and evaluated immunfluorescencehistologically for pericapillary fibrin cuffs (PCF). Fibrin cuffs are associated with decreased tcpO2-tensions. All PCF-positive biopsies were from areas with a tcpO2 less than 35 mmHg. The difference of PCF-positive and PCF-negative biopsies concerning the mean tcpO2 was significant (Wilcoxon-U-Test; p less than 0.001). The evidence of pericapillary fibrin cuffs associated with tcpO2 tensions up to 33 mmHg proves that this phenomenon alone cannot be a diffusion barrier.