Objectives: To examine three different methods for evaluating the effect of percutaneous sclerotherapy on limb venous malformations in a series of patients with a relatively long follow-up.
Method: The study was a retrospective study.
Results: Thirty-eight patients treated with percutaneous sclerotherapy underwent sclerotherapy, with a median number of sessions of 4 (range, 1-10). They were followed up for 1-60 months (average 12.5 months). The kappa between clinical manifestations and Doppler ultrasound was 0.684 (P < 0.001). The kappa between clinical manifestations and magnetic resonance imaging was 0.217 (P = 0.006). The kappa between Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging was 0.323 (P < 0.001). The rate of grade IV patients evaluated by clinical manifestations was significantly higher than that by Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.
Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for VM imaging. Its consistency with clinical examination and Doppler ultrasound is poor, and Doppler ultrasound and clinical examination could be more appropriate for follow-up imaging after sclerotherapy.
Keywords: Doppler ultrasound; Sclerotherapy; clinical examination; limb; magnetic resonance imaging; therapeutic evaluation; venous malformations.