IMPROVEMENT OF CUTANEOUS MICROANGIOPATHY BY COMPRESSION THERAPY IN CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY

Objective: To determine whether compression therapy improves cutaneous microangiopathy in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Design: Cohort study. Setting: Teaching hospital department of dermato logy. Patients: Twenty patients with CVI class I and II, according to Widmer's classification. Interventions: Application of compression ban daging for 2 weeks, followed by application of compression stockings f or 2 weeks. Main outcome measures: Video capillary microscopy, used to measure capillary density, diameter of erythrocyte column, halo diame ter and red blood cell velocity. Improvements in clinical symptoms wer e also recorded. Results: A marked symptomatic improvement was observe d. This was associated with a reduction in lower limb volume, and an i ncrease in the number of cutaneous capillaries with reduced dilatation . The efficacy of stockings and bandaging was similar. Conclusion: Com pression treatment achieves at least part of its effect by improving t he function of the cutaneous microcirculation.