DIAGNOSTIC-ACCURACY OF RADIONUCLIDE VENOGRAPHY IN THE ASSESSMENT OF INCOMPETENT PERFORATING VEINS OF THE LEGS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of radionuclide venography (RV) (with Tc-99m-marked red blood cells) in the identific ation of incompetent perforating veins (IPVs) of the legs in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. After informed consent, RV, followe d by contrast phlebography (CP), of the symptomatic leg was performed in 14 patients (20 legs). The results of RV were compared with those o f CP, which was considered the standard technique in detecting IPVs of the leg. The sensitivity of RV was 92.3%; the specificity, 93.7%; the positive predictive value, 96%; the negative predictive value, 88.2%; and the accuracy, 92.9%. The authors conclude that RV has a high diag nostic accuracy in detecting IPVs of the leg.