Cutaneous Microcirculation and Lower-Limb Venous Disease

Recent studies have reported that chronic ulceration has been found to affect 1% of the entire adult population and 3.6% of those over 65 years old. Venous disease is the most common aetiological factor in chronic leg ulceration and impaired endothelial function appears to be an early sign of venous disease. This book describes a research programme that used Laser Doppler Fluximetry (LDF) and Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI) to study cutaneous microvascular function and its association with venous ulceration. The techniques have been used, amongst others, to study the effects of posture and varicose veins surgery in microvascular perfusion and reactivity in patients at risk of venous ulceration, while also, a new measure of microvascular reactivity has been developed (Tmax), introducing the use of a time element in conjunction with standard LDF and iontophoresis methods.