Our Experience on Light Reflection Rheography (LRR): A New Non-Invasive Method for Lower Limbs Venous Examination

Abstract

By means of a light reflection rheograph (LRR 100), the authors studied 353 lower limbs: 128 with primary varices, 41 with a post-phlebitic syndrome and 81 controls. The parameters that were selected were: VRT (venous refill time) and ΔLR (as expression of the venous emptying rate). In order to assess the accuracy of LRR measurements, simultaneous recordings of both LRR and venous pressure changes in 97 limbs (58 with primary varicose disease, 21 with post-phlebitic syndrome and 18 normals) were compared with each other. The correlation rate for VRT in the two methods revealed very high agreement, (r = 0.96). A fairly good correlation also occurred between changes in venous pressure and ΔLR (r = 0.74). The reproducibility rates ranged between ± 15.9% s.d. (VRT) and ± 7.7% s.d. (ΔLR), using 100 as the average value obtained from each subject. The authors conclude that LRR appears to offer high specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility rates for non-invasive assessment of valvular incompetence. It appears also potentially reliable for the evaluation of calf musculo-venous pump efficiency.