Venous and lymphatic disease : Presentation, investigations and therapy Flashcards

1
Q

What is a varicose vein?

A

A varicose vein is a dilated and tortuous, often superficial vein.

  • Most commonly found in the lower limbs
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2
Q

Anatomical landmarks in venous and lymphatic disease

A
  • Course of the long
    saphenous vein
  • Saphenofemoral junction
  • Short saphenous vein
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3
Q

Describe the coarse of the long saphenous vein

A

Dorsal venous arch drains into the long saphenous vein, which passes anterior to the medial malleolus, up the medial aspect of the leg

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4
Q

Describe the Saphenofemoral junction

A
  • Found 2.5cm below and lateral to the pubic tubercle

- Here the long saphenous vein perforates the cribiform fascia and empties into the femoral vein (deep system)

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5
Q

Describe the role of the short saphenous vein

A

The plantar venous arch drains into the short saphenous vein which travels posterior to the lateral malleolus, up the posterior aspect of the leg and drains into the popliteal vein (deep system)

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6
Q

What helps to assist low flow against gravity (back to the heart)?

A
  • Valves
  • Calf muscle pump
  • Perforating veins to drain blood into the deep system: deep veins are within muscular compartments and can withstand higher pressure
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7
Q

What are causes of valvular failure?

A
  • Surgical or traumatic disruption of the valve.
  • DVT: can initially cause obstruction to venous flow, and even as the vein re-canalises through the thrombus, this canal will be a high-pressure valvular channel.
  • Hormonal changes in pregnancy can cause weakness of the veins and valves, leading to venous incompetence.
  • A large pelvic tumour also could, lead to increased pressure within the distal venous systems.
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8
Q

Pathophysiology: What occurs once one valve has failed?

A

Venous pressure increases, there is dilatation of the distal vein and further valvular incompetence.

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9
Q

Risk factors for venous and lymphatic disease

A
  • Age, veins become more elastic and weaken
  • Female (20-25% females, 10-15% men)
  • Pregnancies
  • DVT
  • Standing for long periods (occupation)
  • Family history
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10
Q

Diagnosis: History

Symptoms and signs for VV

A
  • Burning
  • Itching
  • Heaviness
  • Tightness
  • Swelling
  • Discolouration
  • Phlebitis
  • Bleeding
  • Disfiguration
  • Eczema
  • Ulceration
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11
Q

Examination for varicose veins

A

Look and Feel

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12
Q

Special tests for diagnosis of Varicose veins

A
  • Tap test
  • Tendeleburg/ tourniquet test
  • Doppler
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13
Q

What do you do in a tap test?

A
  • Place one hand over the saphenofemoral junction and one over the long saphenous vein above the knee.
  • Tap the saphenofemoral junction: a transmitted impulse at the knee indicates an incompetence of the valves between the two hands.
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14
Q

What do you do in a tourniquet test?

A
  • Lie the patient flat. Drain the superficial veins by raising the leg and stroking the veins towards the trunk.
  • Apply pressure over the saphenofemoral junction. Keep this pressure on as you ask the patient to stand.
  • If the varicose veins don’t dilate on standing, you are preventing this by ‘acting’ as a competent valve preventing backflow of blood. If you release your hand you will see the veins refill as the patient’s saphenofemoral junction valve is incompetent.
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15
Q

What do you do in a doppler test?

A
  • Hold a doppler probe over the saphenofemoral junction.
    Squeeze the calf muscles.
  • In a patient with competent superficial veins you will hear a ‘whoosh’ as the blood flows upwards into the deep system.
  • In a patient with an incompetent saphenofemoral junction you will hear two waves as the blood flows upwards and then refluxes downwards again.
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16
Q

What is the main investigation technique used for varicose veins?

A

Ultrasound
- Can demonstrate the valves, the anatomy of the varicose vein (e.g. tortuosity), and can be used to show dynamic blood flow e.g. reflux.

17
Q

CEAP classification of chronic venous disease

A

C0 - no visible or palpable signs of venous disease

C1 - teleangiectasies or reticular veins

C2 - varicose veins

C3 - oedema

C4a - pigmentation or eczema

C4b - lipodermatosclerosis or athrophie blanche

C5 - healed ulcer

C6 - active venous ulcer

18
Q

When should treatment be offered to patients with varicose veins?

A

If they have:

  • Bleeding varicose veins
  • Symptomatic varicose veins (including aching, discomfort, swelling, heaviness and itching)
  • Recurrent symptomatic varicose veins
  • Lower limb skin changes of chronic venous insufficiency
  • Superficial venous thrombosis
  • Venous leg ulcer: active or healed
19
Q

What are management options for varicose veins?

A
  • First line: endovenous treatment
  • Second line: ultrasound guided from sclerotherapy
  • Third line: open surgery

If intervention is unsuitable, offer compression hosiery.

20
Q

When shouldn’t intervention be offered for VV?

A

If the deep venous system is obstructed e.g. DVT, or in pregnancy (hosiery instead)

21
Q

Features of endovenous treatment for varicose veins

A
  1. The LSV or SSV is cannulated under ultrasound guidance.
  2. A catheter is passed up the length of the vein to just distal to the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction.
  3. Local anaesthetic is used for the small skin puncture, and then is infiltrated in the superficial tissues around the length of the vein.
  4. The catheter causes injury to the vein wall - either by heat or laser. This causes fibrosis and occlusion of the vein, and subsequent ablation/disappearance of the vein.
22
Q

What are complications of endovenous treatment?

A
  • Skin burns
  • Paraesthesiae (0-10%)
  • Phlebitis (5%)
  • Deep vein thrombosis (1%)
23
Q

What is foam sclerotherapy?

A

Under ultrasound guidance, a chemical foam is injected into the affected vein.
- The foam damages the venous walls, causing fibrosis and occlusion.

24
Q

Features of foam sclerotherapy

A
  • The vein should be occluded (with pressure) proximally to prevent foam migrating and causing the potential complications of stroke, TIA or MI.
  • Thrombophlebitis (7%)
  • Skin pigmentation (6%)
25
Q

What happens in open surgery for varicose veins?

A
  1. Under GA, a groin incision is made and the saphenofemoral junction is exposed.
  2. The saphenous vein is ligated from the femoral vein. An instrument is passed along the length of the saphenous vein and then used to strip the vein out.
  3. Small superficial varicose veins are avulsed using small, ‘stab’ incisions and a small hook instrument.
26
Q

What are complications of open surgery?

A
  • Anaethetic risk
  • Wound infection
  • Damage to nearby nerves (saphenous and sural nerves)
  • Bleeding
27
Q

Features of venous insufficiency

A
  • Failure of calf muscle pump
  • Superficial venous reflex
  • Deep venous reflux (surgery, DVT, congenital)
  • Venous obstruction (heart failure, portal hypertension, obesity)
28
Q

Features of chronic venous insufficiency

A
  • Oedema
  • Telangiectasia
  • Eczema
  • Haemosiderin pigmentation
  • Hypopigmentation
  • Lipodermatosclerosis
  • Ulceration
29
Q

What are venous ulcers?

A

Breach in the skin between the knee and ankle joint, present for >4 weeks

30
Q

Features of venous ulcers

A
  • Gaiter area
  • Granulomatous (red) base
  • Shallow
  • Irregular margins
  • Exudative, oedematous
  • Painless, pulses present
31
Q

Investigations for venous insufficiency

A
  • History
  • Examination
  • ABPI: arterial brachial pressure index
32
Q

Treatment for venous insufficiency

A

Exclude arterial disease (ABPI)

  • Wound care: little role for systemic antibiotics
  • Elevation
  • Compression bandaging
  • Shockwave therapy
33
Q

What is lymphoedema?

A

It is a condition of localised fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system.

34
Q

Primary pathophysiology of lymphoedema

A
  • Congenital
  • Praecox: around puberty
  • Tarda: age >35
35
Q

Secondary pathophysiology of lymphoedema

A
  • Malignancy
  • Surgery
  • Radiotherapy
  • Infection
36
Q

Treatment for lymphoedema

A
  • Elevation

- Drainage