Ana Clarice de Carvalho Bacelar, E M Netto, N Barreto, R Neves, C Heine, P Botelho, C S C B Almeida, E Ramalho, R Aras
{"title":"Promising results of ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy for treating chronic venous ulcers.","authors":"Ana Clarice de Carvalho Bacelar, E M Netto, N Barreto, R Neves, C Heine, P Botelho, C S C B Almeida, E Ramalho, R Aras","doi":"10.1016/j.jvsv.2025.102198","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite advances in wound care, the dressing and management of chronic ulcers on lower limbs remains unsatisfactory. The simplicity, cost effectiveness, and diverse application possibilities of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy make it an attractive and effective approach to treat patients with no access to or contraindications to more invasive methods. We sought to evaluate the healing rate of chronic venous ulcers (Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, Pathophysiological [CEAP] C6) in patients treated with ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From January 2018 to December 2020, 279 patients (336 legs) classified at the first consultation as stage 6 for CEAP disease were followed during treatment of axial venous reflux in saphenous and tributary veins with polidocanol (Aethosxysklerol) foam and evaluated at 52 weeks for complete healing rates or ≥50% ulcer size reduction, using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox regression to study the influence of covariates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average age of the 279 patients was 55 years. Of these, 156 (56%) showed complete healing in 52 weeks and 89 (32%) achieved a wound area reduction of >50%. Ulcer size, severity, lymphedema, and reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle were significantly associated with healing difficulty. Time of ulcer progression up to beginning of treatment (P < .01), ulcer size (P = .01), lymphedema (P = .006), reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle (P = .01), and age ≥65 years (P = .003) were significantly associated with difficulty in healing. Patients with a mean Venous Clinical Severity Score of 18.7 had a better prognosis (18.7 vs 22.5; P < .001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most patients with chronic venous ulcers (CEAP 6) treated with foam sclerotherapy achieved healing or significant improvement within 52 weeks. Healing was highly influenced by time until treatment, ulcer size, reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle and/or lymphedema presence, and the use of compression therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":17537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders","volume":" ","pages":"102198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvsv.2025.102198","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Despite advances in wound care, the dressing and management of chronic ulcers on lower limbs remains unsatisfactory. The simplicity, cost effectiveness, and diverse application possibilities of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy make it an attractive and effective approach to treat patients with no access to or contraindications to more invasive methods. We sought to evaluate the healing rate of chronic venous ulcers (Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, Pathophysiological [CEAP] C6) in patients treated with ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy.
Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, 279 patients (336 legs) classified at the first consultation as stage 6 for CEAP disease were followed during treatment of axial venous reflux in saphenous and tributary veins with polidocanol (Aethosxysklerol) foam and evaluated at 52 weeks for complete healing rates or ≥50% ulcer size reduction, using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox regression to study the influence of covariates.
Results: The average age of the 279 patients was 55 years. Of these, 156 (56%) showed complete healing in 52 weeks and 89 (32%) achieved a wound area reduction of >50%. Ulcer size, severity, lymphedema, and reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle were significantly associated with healing difficulty. Time of ulcer progression up to beginning of treatment (P < .01), ulcer size (P = .01), lymphedema (P = .006), reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle (P = .01), and age ≥65 years (P = .003) were significantly associated with difficulty in healing. Patients with a mean Venous Clinical Severity Score of 18.7 had a better prognosis (18.7 vs 22.5; P < .001).
Conclusions: Most patients with chronic venous ulcers (CEAP 6) treated with foam sclerotherapy achieved healing or significant improvement within 52 weeks. Healing was highly influenced by time until treatment, ulcer size, reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle and/or lymphedema presence, and the use of compression therapy.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders is one of a series of specialist journals launched by the Journal of Vascular Surgery. It aims to be the premier international Journal of medical, endovascular and surgical management of venous and lymphatic disorders. It publishes high quality clinical, research, case reports, techniques, and practice manuscripts related to all aspects of venous and lymphatic disorders, including malformations and wound care, with an emphasis on the practicing clinician. The journal seeks to provide novel and timely information to vascular surgeons, interventionalists, phlebologists, wound care specialists, and allied health professionals who treat patients presenting with vascular and lymphatic disorders. As the official publication of The Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum, the Journal will publish, after peer review, selected papers presented at the annual meeting of these organizations and affiliated vascular societies, as well as original articles from members and non-members.