Evaluation of the effects of elastic compression in patients with chronic venous hypertension by laser-Doppler flowmetry.

The evaluation of the effects of elastic compression in patients with venous hypertension and perimalleolar ulceration may be performed using laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). This technique may reveal microcirculatory positive variations which are not evident by standard methods as Doppler, plethysmography and ambulatory venous pressure (AVP). In this study we demonstrated the good correlation between AVP values and laser-Doppler parameters, particularly the resting flow and the venous vasomotor response. Also the response of the skin of the perimalleolar region to a local increase of skin temperature was well correlated with AVP parameters. By evaluation of laser-Doppler parameters it was possible to differentiate normals from abnormals (patients with venous hypertension) and it was possible to show variations of microcirculation associated with the decrease of the areas of ulceration after 3 week elastic compression. No significant variations have been recorded by AVP before and after 3 weeks of treatment with elastic compression in 80 patients with venous ulcerations. Laser-Doppler flowmetry was useful to evaluate the positive changes produced by elastic compression.