Katherine Kozlowski, Medical Author and Contributor to Vein News and www.VeinsVeinsVeins.com
It is well known tha the size of the great saphenous vein generally increases with venous reflux.
Invetigators at the Department of Surgery, Damsoyu Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea and the Department of Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea wanted to see which part of the great saphenous vein is most susceptible to dilation in patients with reflux.
The researchers evaluated data from 99 patients (198 limbs) with signs and symptoms of venous insufficiency of both lower limbs and performed ultrasound to examine venous reflux and to measure the diameter of the great saphenous veins.
They divided the GSV into four locations:
saphenofemoral junction
mid thigh
lower thigh (LT)
and below the knee segment
The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of reflux.
The diameter of the GSV with reflux was significantly larger than that of GSVs without reflux only at the LT (4.7 mm vs 4.2 mm; P < .001).
The cutoff value of the LT diameter for association with reflux was 5 mm (P = .025).
The authors concluded that the "cutoff diameter of the LT was 5 mm. We recommend treatment of symptomatic reflux, and LT diameter may be useful for follow-up before and after treatment".
Kim MJ, Park PJ, Koo BH, Lee SG, Byun GY and Lee SR. Association between venous reflux and diameter of great saphenous vein in lower thigh. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2020; 8(1): 100-105.