Ultrasound diagnostics has long been actively used in all branches of medicine. Technologies are constantly improving, which allows you to evaluate more and more parameters. Modern ultrasound is a hardware procedure that demonstrates blood flow indicators in several forms in real time: sound, graphic, quantitative.
What is an ultrasound of the vessels of the legs
Ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities is an informative research method that allows for early diagnosis, which means more effective treatment of diseases of the veins and arteries, which affects a huge number of our contemporaries.
Detection of pathologies in the early stages makes it possible to stop the progression of vascular diseases and avoid severe and dangerous complications with which they are fraught.
Earlier, ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities made it possible to judge only the nature of the blood flow according to the Doppler curve on the monitor. However, today it is already possible to see veins and arteries (their diameter, the condition of the walls), to do a spectral analysis of the blood flow in the vessels withduplex scanning, monitor and evaluate blood flow in 3D with triplex.
Indications for ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities
Ultrasound examination of the veins can be prescribed for the following complaints and conditions:
- swelling and pain in the legs;
- heaviness and fatigue of the legs;
- shin cramps at night;
- numbness and tingling in limbs;
- purple mesh;
- changing the color of the skin of the legs;
- trophic ulcers;
- restless legs syndrome (need to move legs at night);
- protruding veins on the lower limbs.
Arterial ultrasound is indicated in the following cases:
- shin pain when walking;
- pain in feet and toes at night;
- postponed operations on the arteries of the legs;
- for diabetes.
What diagnoses can be made using this method
With the help of ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities, the following pathologies can be detected:
- Varicose veins on the legs. Symptoms: swelling, bulging veins, itching, pain, heaviness in the legs, thickening and darkening of the skin of the legs. With varicose veins, there is stagnation of venous blood, valve failure, vasodilation.
- Deep vein thrombosis in the legs. With this disease, blood clots form in the vessels,preventing blood flow. Pain in the ankle joint appears while walking.
- Obliterating atherosclerosis of the vessels of the legs. The disease is characterized by thickening of the walls of large arteries as a result of the deposition of cholesterol on them. Main signs: fatigue and pain in the legs when walking up stairs or uphill, cold extremities, impaired hair growth on the legs, the appearance of ulcers.
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Obliterating endarteritis of the vessels of the legs. This is inflammation and narrowing of the small arteries. It is manifested by edema, pallor of the skin and their dryness, goosebumps, blue and brittle nails, excessive sweating of the legs.
How it works
During the procedure, the patient lies down. The doctor examines the checkpoints with a transducer.
At the same time, it examines both veins and arteries of different calibers. The uniformity of blood flow and its changes due to blockage or narrowing of the lumen, the structure and course of blood vessels, the likelihood of arterial compression, the severity of their spasms are assessed.
Because vein diseases are more common, their examination is of particular importance. In particular, the patency of deep veins in the legs and the solvency of the valves are evaluated. Approximately 30-50 minutes is the ultrasound of the vessels.
Price
The cost of the procedure may vary, depending on the level of the medical institution and the region. An ultrasound of the vessels of the upper and lower extremities costs an average of 1,000 rubles, an ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and brain costs about 1,500 rubles.
