Prospective evaluation of chronic venous insufficiency based on foot venous pressure measurements and air plethysmography findings.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate lower extremity venous function in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, with foot venous pressure (FVP) measurements and air plethysmography (APG). METHODS: Eighty-five limbs of 63 patients with a history of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) from 1995 to 1999 were studied. FVP parameters studied included ambulatory venous pressure (AVP), percent decrease in FVP with manual calf compression (%drop), ratio of increase in FVP over 4 seconds after release of compression (4SR%), and time to 90% recovery of FVP were measured. APG parameters studied included functional venous volume, 90% refilling time (VFT90), venous filling index, ejection fraction, and residual volume fraction. RESULTS: Venous filling index and 90% refilling time were significantly decreased in limbs with stasis syndrome compared with the control group. AVP, %drop, and 4SR% also showed significantly decrease in limbs with stasis syndrome compared with those without it. AVP, %drop, and 4SR% were significantly different for the primary group compared with the secondary group, whereas no differences were found with regard to any APG parameter. CONCLUSIONS: APG enables prediction of the presence of CVI, whereas FVP measurements are more useful for evaluation of clinical severity of CVI.