PREOPERATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PRIMARY VARICOSE VEINS OF LOWER LIMBS BY DUPLEX COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASOUND: A VALIDATION STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Varicose veins comprises a significant clinical problem representing underlying chronic venous insufficiency with ensuing venous hypertension leading to broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Our study is based on evaluation of 125 limbs in 103 patients of lower extremity symptomatic varicose veins. After establishing the nature of venous incompetence and abnormality on both clinical and duplex ultrasonography, patients were subjected to surgery and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy was calculated based on operative assessments and findings. RESULTS: Non invasive diagnostic evaluation with duplex sonography in our study proved it to be suitable procedure when sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy was assesed. CONCLUSION: We conclude that in comparison to the cumbersome clinical assessments alone, the combination of clinical with Doppler duplex ultrasounds, proved to be more suitable and reliable procedures in avoiding the inappropriate surgeries.