Many problems with the lower extremities appear due to circulatory disorders. After all, 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 disorders, ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities will help.
Indications for examination
Doppler ultrasound is one of the most effective examination methods, which 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 muscle load;
- numbness and swelling of the legs;
- the appearance of deformed veins, spider veins;
- causeless hyperthermia of the body;
- periodically appearing sudden lameness;
- quickly appearing feeling of heaviness of legs;
- non-healing ulcers and various trophic changes;
- dry skin, a change in its color;
- deformation of the phalanges of the fingers;
- barely noticeable or even imperceptible pulsation of the arteries of the legs.
When these signs appear, it is important to conduct timely diagnosis. This will allow you to identify the disease in time and prescribe adequate treatment.
Possible causes of circulatory disorders
There is a fairly 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.
With the help of the study, it is revealed:
- varicose veins: stagnant processes are visible in certain areas;
- pulmonary thromboembolism: thrombi in deep veins will be visualized on an ultrasound scan, with this disease it is imperative to examine the lungs;
- thrombosis leading to venous insufficiency: on the doppler it is clear that the thrombus blocks the lumen of the vessel.
In all these cases, the blood hardly passes through the vessels. Doppler 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, 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 special preparation is not required before the ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities. What is it, a phlebologist or an angiosurgeon can best explain. Some, however, advise to refrain from the use of stimulating drinks (strong tea or coffee), smoking and taking certain medications.
During the examination on the legs, several control sites are determined on which the vessels pass close to the skin. This is a hole under the knee, skin in the area of inguinal folds, the inside of the ankle. Also, as a control, take the area where a large saphenous vein should flow into the femoral.
At first, the patient lies on his back, then, at the request of the doctor, turns on his stomach.
Part of the examination is carried out in a standing position. In this case, the patient should do certain diagnostic tests, cough. This allows you to evaluate blood flow in various veins.
Benefits of Doppler Scanning
Vascular ultrasound of the vessels of the veins of the lower extremities is a safe and highly informative way to assess blood flow. With its help, you can not only diagnose the disease when the blood flow is noticeably impaired, but also determine the onset of the disease at the stage when any clinical signs are absent.
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 scan it is possible to 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. With its help, they look at the effectiveness of collateral circulation.
But the most informative is a duplex study, in which in addition to ultrasound, an ordinary ultrasound scan is also done. Using the latter method, one can see the anatomical features of the structure of blood vessels.
What the doctor can see during the procedure
When performing ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities, a specialist can identify certain violations. The study makes it possible to understand what is happening with the vessels, and 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 dormancy 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 brachial artery;
- notice that there is a pathological discharge of blood through perforating veins;
- observe a drop over the same blood pressure vessel.
One or more pathological signs enable the doctor to establish a diagnosis. If necessary, the specialist can refer the patient for further examination.