Venous duplex ultrasound in patients with chronic venous disorders

Abstract

Clinical evaluation of the location and extent of venous disease is an unreliable means of determining effective and durable treatment plans in a given limb. This is true as different patterns of incompetence can result in a similar appearance of abnormalities, and because several different patterns can coexist in a single limb. Although several diagnostic techniques exist, Duplex Ultrasound (DUS) has evolved to become the primary diagnostic tool used to evaluate patients with superficial venous insufficiency (SVI). DUS is an inexpensive, portable and reproducible means of simultaneously assessing both the venous anatomy and physiology. DUS has been proven to be invaluable in examining patients with known or suspected venous disease to identify the nature, location and extent of the abnormalities.