DISABLING CALF PAIN IN A PATIENT PRESENTI NG VENOUS ANGIODYSPLASIA - VALUE OF DYNAMIC TESTING

We report the case of a 25-year old woman presenting with disabling pa in of the left calf, associated with lower left limb angiodysplasia. D ynamic testing (duplex scan and phlebography) showed a popliteal vein ectasia, with reflux into an incompetent lesser saphenous vein: the ve nous drainage of this ectasia was an embryonic femoropopliteal vein go ing to the profunda femoris vein. As long as patency and competence of deep veins and of the superficial femoral vein were confirmed by dyna mic testing with compressions, curative surgery was considered: en-blo c resection of lesser saphenous vein and of embryonic femoropopliteal vein combined with lateral suture of the popliteal vein. One-year foll ow-up confirms the absence of recurrent symptoms. Dynamic testing allo ws safe surgical therapy of persisting embryonic abnormalities associa ted with incompetent veins, in cases where such testing clearly demons trates that a sufficient venous drainage of the affected limb will be provided after surgery.