Double-blind prospective comparative trial between foamed and liquid polidocanol and sodium tetradecyl sulfate in the treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins.

Background: Twenty subjects were treated with either polidocanol (POL) or sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) to compare the efficacy and adverse sequelae of each agent.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of two widely used sclerosing agents.

Methods: After the exclusion of saphenofemoral junction incompetency, each subject's leg veins were categorized by size (< 1, 1-3, and 3-6 mm in diameter). Each leg was then randomized to be treated with 0.5%, 1%, or 1% foam of POL or 0.25%, 0.5%, or 0.5% foam of STS according to vein size. An independent panel of four physicians, blinded to treatment, performed randomized photographic evaluations obtained pretreatment and 12 weeks post-treatment. Subject satisfaction index and overall clinical improvement assessment were also obtained.

Results: An average 83% improvement was noted for all vein sizes in all subjects with both POL and STS after a single treatment. Subjects were satisfied with treatment, regardless of the sclerosing agent used or the vein size treated. There was no statistically significant difference in adverse effects between each group.

Conclusion: Both POL and STS are safe and effective sclerosing agents in the treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. Both are very tolerable and demonstrate similar post-treatment sequelae.