Background and objectives: Foam sclerotherapy is a clinical procedure for the treatment of unhealthy veins. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sulodexide (SUL) on stability of foams prepared using polidocanol (POL) and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) detergents, more specifically with 0.25% aethoxysclerol and 0.2% Fibro-Vein sclerosing solutions.
Methods: Foams were produced by the Tessari method using three different weight ratios of POL-SUL and STS-SUL (1:0, 1:1, and 1:3).
Results: The half-life of STS foams resulted as follows: 82 ± 1.6 s, 101.8 ± 2.6 s, and 109.7 ± 2.1 s for 1:0, 1:1, and 1:3 STS-SUL weight ratios, respectively. The same ratios were used for POL foams with the following results: 90.6 ± 3 s, 106.8 ± 2.6 s, and 107.6 ± 2.7 s for 1:0, 1:1, and 1:3 POL-SUL weight ratios, respectively.
Conclusion: The addition of SUL in sclerosing solutions can prolong the half-life of foams, and it could be potentially used as a foam stabilizer.
Keywords: Foam; half-life; polidocanol; sclerosant; sclerotherapy; sodium tetradecyl sulfate; stability; varicose veins.