BACKGROUND: The hemodynamic variability of air plethysmography is known in the literature, but the clinical significance of this event has not been investigated yet, and there may be some unexplored clinical meaning. There is known superpositioning of CEAP clinical classes (C0-C6) and even in lower limbs of the same clinical classes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hemodynamic variability of air plethysmography parameters in CEAP clinical classes. METHODS: This retrospective study compares lower limb varicose disease between C0 and C6 CEAP clinical classes with venous hemodynamic parameters obtained by air plethysmography. Data were tabled and analyzed according to their clinical classes by Kruskal-Wallys and Barllet variance tests. RESULTS: A total of 310 examinations were performed in 230 patients, aged between 19-81 years (mean = 46.2 years). Venous filling index and functional venous volume increased hemodynamic variability when compared with CEAP C0. This was demonstrated by the variability coefficient, which was 28.12% for venous filling index in C0 and higher than 57% between clinical classes C2 and C6. Ejection fraction and residual venous fraction had no increase in variability when compared with CEAP C0. CONCLUSION: Venous filling index is the best parameter for assessment and screening patients with chronic venous insufficiency, but has great variability in C2 to C6 CEAP clinical classes.
Varicose veins; venous insufficiency; plethysmography
