TY - JOUR T1 - Segmental hypoplasia of the great saphenous vein and varicose disease. AU - Caggiati,A, AU - Mendoza,E, PY - 2004/06/02/accepted PY - 2004/8/4/pubmed PY - 2004/12/16/medline PY - 2004/8/4/entrez SP - 257 EP - 61 JF - European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery JO - Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg VL - 28 IS - 3 N2 - OBJECTIVES: Primitive narrowing of great saphenous vein segments (saphenous hypoplasia) has been described in healthy limbs. The aim of the present study was to detect great saphenous vein segmental hypoplasia in limbs with varicose veins and to evaluate the local anatomical and haemodynamic patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incidence of saphenous hypoplasia and the local haemodynamic rearrangement were evaluated by duplex ultrasonography in 676 normal limbs and in 320 limbs with varicose veins. RESULTS: Segmental hypoplasia was demonstrated in 84 normal limbs and in 79 limbs with saphenous reflux. In the latter, the retrograde flow leaves the GSV at the proximal end of the hypoplastic segment to feed tributary veins. CONCLUSIONS: Saphenous hypoplasia occurs in varicose limbs more frequently than in healthy ones (p= >0.001). It greatly influences the path of the reflux and the anatomy of the varicose veins. GSV segmental hypoplasia can be detected preoperatively by duplex ultrasonography. Its occurrence may influence surgical management for two main reasons: in about 68% of varicose limbs with segmental hypoplasia, the distal GSV is competent. If the distal GSV is varicose, its size and flow direction is normalised by treating the accessory vein that bypasses the hypoplastic segment. SN - 1078-5884 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/15288628/Segmental_hypoplasia_of_the_great_saphenous_vein_and_varicose_disease_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S107858840400259X DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -