Is it common to use sclerofoam to treat spider veins? I've heard conflicting answers.
Foam is an excellent choice to treat spider veins. Ultrasonic-directed foam sclerotherapy is unnecessary.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
While some physicians may use foamed solution to treat smaller veins, typically the spider veins and pale green reticular veins are treated without foaming the solution being used. In my practice we use a weak sclerosant that works nicely will little discomfort. It is not foamed. When treating large bulges and varicose veins, foamed solution is necessary.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Ultrasound is used for guiding treatment varicose veins but not for spider veins. When a sclerosing agent is made into foam, it is stronger. Hence it is used for the bigger veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
While some physicians may use foamed solution to treat smaller veins, typically the spider veins and pale green reticular veins are treated without foaming the solution being used. In my practice we use a weak sclerosant that works nicely will little discomfort. It is not foamed. When treating large bulges and varicose veins, foamed solution is necessary.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
No, ultrasound guided injection sclerotherapy is not relevant to
spider veins. It is used only to guide the injection of sclerosing
medication inside targeted varicose veins, and to control and keep the
foam in the target vein by manual or ultrasound probe compression used
to block the flow of medication into deep veins. Thus, protecting the
deep veins from effect of sclerotherapy.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Foam sclerotherapy with Sotradecol (STS) is the current best treatment for spider veins. However spider veins are injected by direct vision and not by ultrasound guidance. Spiders are too superficial and too small to be seen by ultrasound.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
"Spider veins" are tiny veins within the skin measuring less than 1
millimeter in diameter. The medical term for them is telangiectasia.
Sclerotherapy with a liquid sclerosant such as Sotradecol is used for
telangiectasia. Foam sclerotherapy usually is not used for telangiectasia
since many pholebologists believe foam sclerotherapy within the smaller
superficial veins such as telangiectasia produces more brown pigmentation in
the skin (hyperpigmentation) than liquid sclerotherapy.
Ultrasound guided injection of foam sclerosants is very useful for treating
veins that may be located in the fatty tissue under clusters of "spider
veins". The larger and deeper veins may function to feed blood under
pressure into the smaller veins in the skin such as "spider veins."
Treatment of "spider veins' in the skin without treating the larger
underlying veins may result in an early recurrence of "spider veins."
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Only those with large vessel size. The actual tiny spider veins should not
have foam as it is too strong a solution for the tiny veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012