Effect of the period of extrinsic mechanical compression following sclerotherapy in veins in rabbit ears.

Purpose: Research whether a post-sclerotherapy venous compression period of up to 120 hours is sufficient to avoid reperfusion in treated veins; whether there is a relationship between the inflammatory intensity in venous walls and adjacent tissue and the size of venous thrombosis; whether the intensity of the post-sclerotherapy inflammation varies with the period of compression; whether there is a relationship between the presence of hemosiderin in the tissues adjacent to the sclerosing blood vessels and venous blood clots.

Methods: Twenty eight rabbits, all male, were utilized, distributed into four groups (0, 24, 72 and 120). All the animals were administered with 0.25 ml of 1% polidoconal solution and, as a control, 0.25 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution in the marginal dorsal vein of the right and left ears, respectively. Mechanical compression was applied to the perfused stretch of the vein, except for the animals in group 0. The period of compression varied from 0 to 120 hours in the groups. An anatomopathological examination of the section of the right and left marginal dorsal veins of all the animals was conducted.

Results: There was no significant difference among the various compression periods, both in terms of the degree of vein thrombosis and in the inflammatory intensity in both ears of the various groups. A positive and significant correlation was observed between the inflammatory intensity and the size of the thrombus and in the occurrence of thrombi and hemosiderin.

Conclusions: A compression period of up to 120 hours is not sufficient to prevent reperfusion in sclerosing blood vessels. The intensity of tissue inflammation is related to the size of the thrombus, but not to the compression period. The presence of hemosiderin in the tissues adjacent to the vessels subjected to sclerosis is related to the presence of venous coagulation.