Many problems with the lower extremities appear due to circulatory disorders. Indeed, with its deterioration, it will not be possible to ensure normal blood supply to the legs. To find out the cause that led to these violations, ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities will help.
Indications for examination
Doppler ultrasound is one of the most effective examination methods that allows you to diagnose vein thrombosis, including in the upper legs, obliterating atherosclerosis and other diseases.
There is a list of indications in which ultrasound of the arteries and veins of the extremities must be carried out without fail. These include:
- regular leg muscle cramps;
- the appearance of pain during muscular exertion;
- numbness and swelling of the legs;
- the appearance of deformed veins, spider veins;
- causeless hyperthermia of the body;
- occasional sudden lameness;
- quickly appearing feeling of heavy legs;
- non-healing ulcers andvarious trophic changes;
- dry skin, discoloration;
- deformity of the phalanges of the fingers;
- barely noticeable or completely imperceptible pulsation of the arteries of the legs.
When these signs appear, it is important to conduct a timely diagnosis. This will allow to identify the disease in time and prescribe adequate treatment.
Possible causes of poor circulation
There is a rather extensive list of factors that can cause circulatory disorders. It is ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities that allows you to accurately determine the problem.
Research reveals:
- varicose veins: stagnant processes are visible in certain areas;
- pulmonary thromboembolism: ultrasound will visualize blood clots in deep veins, with this disease it is necessary to conduct a lung examination;
- thrombosis leading to venous insufficiency: Doppler shows that the thrombus blocks the lumen of the vessel.
In all these cases, the blood hardly passes through the vessels. Ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities allows you to see the most problematic areas. This examination allows you to determine endarteritis and atherosclerosis of the legs, to identify thrombosis and thrombophlebitis, angiopathy in diabetes. After all, these diseases lead to circulatory disorders in the lower extremities.
Procedure technology
Many doctors say that no special preparation is required before ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities. What is it, the phlebologist can best explainor an angiosurgeon. Some, however, advise to refrain from drinking stimulating drinks (strong tea or coffee), smoking and taking certain medications.
When conducting an examination on the legs, several control areas are determined in which the vessels pass close to the skin. This is a hole under the knee, the skin in the region of the inguinal folds, the inner part of the ankle. Also, as a control, take the area where the great saphenous vein should flow into the femoral.
First, the patient lies on his back, then, at the request of the doctor, turns over on his stomach.
Part of the examination is performed in a standing position. In this case, the patient must also do certain diagnostic tests, cough. This allows you to evaluate the flow in different veins.
The benefits of Doppler scanning
Ultrasonography of the vessels of the veins of the lower extremities is a safe and highly informative method for assessing blood flow. With its help, you can not only diagnose the disease when the blood flow is noticeably disturbed, but also determine the onset of the disease at the stage when there are no clinical signs.
The method is based on the fact that an ultrasonic wave is reflected from moving objects. This also changes the frequency of the output signal. With the help of ultrasound, you can determine in which direction and at what speed the blood moves, see atherosclerotic stenosis, check the pulsation. Also, this method allows you to evaluate minute blood flow and identify clogged vessels. Use it to check efficiencycollateral circulation.
But the most informative is a duplex study, in which, in addition to ultrasound, a conventional ultrasound is also done. Using the latter method, you can see the anatomical features of the structure of the vessels.
What can the doctor see during the procedure
When performing ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities, a specialist can identify certain disorders. The study makes it possible to understand what is happening with the vessels, and to establish an accurate diagnosis. So, during the examination, you can:
- check if the pulse wave is changing;
- diagnose a decrease in blood flow in some areas;
- see that the blood flow is uneven;
- notice retrograde blood flow during rest or, conversely, stress;
- see the change in the ankle-brachial index: this is an index that is calculated based on the ratio of pressure in the tibial veins in the region of the ankles and the brachial artery;
- notice that there is a pathological discharge of blood through the perforating veins;
- observe the drop throughout the same blood pressure vessel.
One or more pathological signs enable the doctor to make a diagnosis. If necessary, the specialist can refer the patient for further examination.
