Sclerotherapy: a study comparing polidocanol in foam and liquid form

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Dermatology

Background:

• Compression sclerotherapy is a long-established treatment for lower extremity varicose veins.
• Sclerosing foam has emerged as a potentially more effective alternative to liquid sclerosants.
• Polidocanol is a widely used detergent-type sclerosant.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of polidocanol in foam versus liquid form for treating varicose veins.
• To evaluate clinical improvement and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A study included 100 women with telangiectases and small varicose veins (<4 mm).
• Patients were randomized into two groups: 50 treated with polidocanol foam and 50 with polidocanol liquid.
• Veins were treated with varying concentrations of polidocanol (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%) based on size.

Main Results:

• Complete vessel disappearance was observed in 84% of the foam group versus 72% in the liquid group.
• The higher success rate in the foam group did not reach statistical significance (P=0.148).
• No significant differences in side effects were reported between the foam and liquid polidocanol groups.

Conclusions:

• Both polidocanol foam and liquid are effective and safe for treating small varicose veins and telangiectasias.
• Foam sclerotherapy demonstrated a trend towards greater efficacy in clearing treated vessels.
• Further research is needed to definitively establish the superiority of foam sclerotherapy.