[Venous hemodynamics in axillary venous stasis]

By means of venous-occlusion plethysmography in 40 patients (24 men, 16 women) with stasis of the axillary vein the venous return was measured. This was 62.3 +/- 21.5 ml/100 ml/min. on the healthy arm. Long-term venous thromboses had worse return values (43.7%) than short occlusions (71.6% of the healthy side). Responsible for the favourable late results, which express themselves in increasing return values, is in general the development of an efficient collateral circulation and recanalisation, respectively, after thrombolysis or thrombectomy. The plethysmographic measurement of the back flow apart from the phlebography of the arm is recommended for the diagnosis and control of the course of the stasis of the axillary vein.