Diameter and velocity changes in the femoral vein during thermal stress in humans

Unlike most studies on deep veins performed with simultaneous suppression of cutaneous blood flow, a sonographic study of femoral diameter and blood flow velocity changes in response to thermal stress was performed while cutaneous flow was preserved. In 11 normal subjects, mean peak blood flow velocity and diameter of the femoral vein were measured at rest and during indirect whole body heating and cooling. Mean peak venous blood flow velocity was 0.12 +/- 0.06 m s-1 at rest, 0.35 +/- 0.23 m s-1 (P < 0.001) during heat stress, and 0.13 +/- 0.07 m s-1 during cold stress (NS). Femoral venous diameter was 5.3 +/- 0.9 mm at rest, 5.1 +/- 1.0 mm (P < 0.05) during warming, and 5.4 +/- 81.0 mm (NS) during cooling. This study showed a decrease in diameter during thermal stress. However, as mean femoral venous blood-flow velocity was doubled during heat stress, femoral venous blood flow was increased. Thus, it is suggested that during heat stress part of the increase in cutaneous flow is returned through deep veins.