2-DIMENSIONAL LASER-DOPPLER PERFUSION IMAGING AND MICROCIRCULATORY FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH VENOUS SKIN DAMAGE

Objective: To assess the use of two-dimensional laser Doppler perfusion imaging in the quantification of venous skin damage. Design: Comparison of disease group with control group. Setting: Department of Medicine, Hospital du Nord, Grenoble, France. Subjects: Six patients (nine limbs) with lipodermatosclerosis (LDS) due to duplex-proven venous insufficiency and six controls subjects (11 limbs). Interventions: Perfusion images were collected at rest, after venous hypertension and after skin heating. Main outcome measures: Mean skin perfusion (mV). Results: An increased basal flux at rest was found in lipsclerotic skin (1.6 V) compared with controls (0.94, V, 95% CI = 0.16-1.48). An impairment of hyperaemic responsiveness to heat was also shown (factor of increase = 1.87 (LDS) compared with 3.28 (controls); 95% CI = 0.85-2.44).