Ultrasonographic Venous Abnormalities in CEAP C1 Patients

Abstract

Objective:

The study aimed to investigate the ultrasonographic venous abnormalities in CEAP C1 patients and explore the relationship between venous abnormalities, vessel diameters, and patients’ baseline characteristics.

Methods:

We prospectively collected data from patients with lower limb chronic venous disease, CEAP C1 classification, who underwent Doppler ultrasound at our institution between December 2022 and May 2023. Demographic data, including age, sex, weight, height, underlying non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, long-standing hours per day, and vessel diameters, were collected. Patients were divided into reflux and non-reflux groups. The association between venous abnormalities, vessel diameters, and patients’ baseline characteristics was analyzed by using correlation tests.

Results:

There were 94 participants, mean 44.9 (+ 13.4 SD) years. Eighty-eight (93.6%) were female. Eleven participants had 1 symptomatic limb; thus, a total of 177 limbs were assessed. In the 177 limbs assessed, refluxes were found in 25 (14.1%) limbs, including 2 (1.1%) limbs in deep veins, 11 (6.2%) limbs in superficial veins, 8 (4.5%) limbs in perforators, and 4 (2.3%) limbs in both great saphenous veins (GSV) and perforators. Perforator diameter ≥1.8 mm had a significant relationship with reflux (p = .017), while GSV diameter and patients’ baseline characteristics had no relationship with venous reflux. No thrombosis or short saphenous vein abnormalities were shown in this study.

Conclusions:

Venous abnormalities were found in 14.1% of our CEAP C1 limbs. All were refluxes. Almost all of the refluxes occurred in superficial veins and/or perforators. There were no thromboses or abnormalities in the short saphenous vein. Perforator diameter ≥1.8 mm had a significant relationship with reflux (p = .017). Short saphenous vein examinations and the augmentation test in perforator veins with a diameter less than 1.8 mm can be omitted from the screening protocol for CEAP C1 patients to reduce examination time.