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Polidocanol plus HG outperforms HG alone in sclerosing reticular veins

Patients requiring sclerosing of reticular veins experienced better sclerotherapy outcomes with 0.2% polidocanol diluted in 70% hypertonic glucose than with 75% hypertonic glucose alone.

The prospective, randomized, triple-blind, controlled, parallel-group study included 43 women in the polidocanol arm and 50 women treated with hypertonic glucose (HG) alone. Treatment ran between March and December 2014, with a 2-month follow-up period, at a single academic medical center. Eligible women had at least one reticular vein with a minimum length of 10 cm in one of their lower limbs, according to study background.

Disappearance of the reticular veins within 60 days of sclerotherapy served as the primary efficacy endpoint. Safety endpoints included serious complications such as deep vein thrombosis and systemic complications, along with minor complications such as pigmentation, edema, telangiectatic matting and hematomas. Clinicians assessed safety outcomes immediately after treatment, and then at 7 and 60 days.

The HG plus polidocanol 0.2% group experienced a 95.17% efficacy rate in eliminating reticular veins compared with 85.4% among those treated with HG alone (P < .001).

Residual veins in the polidocanol group were a mean length of 3.07 cm compared with 8.30 cm in the HG alone group (P = .003).

Pigmentation was observed in 55.8% of women in the polidocanol arm and 70% of those treated with HG alone (P = .08). Other findings showed no significant differences in the mean percentage length of pigmentation along the treated vein.

There were no serious adverse events reported in either treatment arm. – by Rob Volansky

Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.