Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Plethysmographic Techniques in the Diagnosis of Venous Disease

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Noninvasive Vascular Diagnosis

  • 1997 Accesses

Abstract

Various techniques of plethysmography have been developed to evaluate venous function in the lower extremity. They have been extensively investigated, but have been replaced with color duplex scanning for the anatomic examination of the deep and superficial venous systems. In the current management of venous disease, plethysmography is useful to assist in the management of complex venous disease when multiple anatomic abnormalities are identified and to document improvement in venous function after interventions are performed. In this way, it functions similarly to an ankle-brachial index to document improvement after arterial revascularization is performed.

Several plethysmographic techniques have been developed employing different sensors to measure changes in blood volume in a limb including strain-gauge plethysmography (SGP), impedance plethysmography (IPG), photoplethysmography (PPG), and air plethysmography (APG). These will be described after the general concepts of plethysmographic evaluation for reflux and obstruction are reviewed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 899.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 949.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sumner DS. Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. In: Rutherford RB, editor. Vascular surgery. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 1995. p. 1698–743.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sumner DS. Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis by straingauge plethysmography. In: Bernstein EF, editor. Vascular diagnosis. St. Louis: C.V. Mosby; 1993. p. 811–9.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Barnes RW, Collicott PE, Sumner DS, et al. Noninvasive quantitation of venous hemodynamics in postphlebitic syndrome. Arch Surg. 1973;107:807.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wheeler HB, Anderson FA Jr. Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis by impedance plethysmography. In: Bernstein EF, editor. Vascular diagnosis. St. Louis: C.V. Mosby; 1993. p. 820–9.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Owens LV, Farber MA, Young ML. The value of air plethysmography in predicting clinical outcome after surgical treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. J Vasc Surg. 2000;32:961–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. AbuRahma AF. Strain-gauge plethysmography in diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. In: AbuRahma AF, Diethrich EB, editors. Current noninvasive vascular diagnosis. Littleton: PSG Publishing Company, Inc.; 1988. p. 271–81.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Barnes RW, Collicott PE, Mozersky DJ, et al. Noninvasive quantitation of maximum venous outflow in acute thrombophlebitis. Surgery. 1972;72:971.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rooke TW, Heser JL, Osmundson PJ. Exercise strain-gauge venous plethysmography: evaluation of a “new” device for assessing lower limb venous incompetence. Angiology. 1992;43:219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wheeler HB. Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis: review of clinical evaluation and impedance plethysmography. Am J Surg. 1985;150(7)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Comerata AJ, Katz ML, Grossi RJ, et al. The comparative value of noninvasive testing for diagnosis and surveillance of deep venous thrombosis. J Vasc Surg. 1988;7(40)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Agnelli G, Cosmi B, Radicchia S, et al. Features of thrombi and diagnostic accuracy of impedance plethysmography in symptomatic and asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis. Thromb Haemost. 1993;70(2):266.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Abramowitz HB, Queral LA, Flinn WR, et al. The use of photoplethysmography in the assessment of venous insufficiency: a comparison to venous pressure measurements. Surgery. 1979;86:434–40.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Nicolaides AN, Miles C. Photoplethysmography in the assessment of venous insufficiency. J Vasc Surg. 1987;5:405.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Criado E. Laboratory evaluation of the patient with chronic venous insufficiency. In: Rutherford RB, editor. Vascular surgery. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 1995. p. 1771–85.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Thomas PRS, Butler CM, Bowman J, et al. Light reflection rheography: an effective non-invasive technique for screening patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis. Br J Surg. 1991;78:207–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Mitrani AA, Gonzalez ML, O’Connell MT, et al. Detection of clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis using light reflection rheography. Am Journal of Surgery. 1991;161:646–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Back TL, Padberg FT Jr., Araki CT, Thompson PN, Hobson RV 2nd. Limited range of motion is a significant factor in venous ulceration. J Vasc Surg 1995;22(5):519–23.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Christopoulos D, Nicolaides AN, Szendro G. Venous reflux: quantitation and correlation with the clinical severity of chronic venous disease. Br J Surg. 1988;75:352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Nicolaides AN, Sumner DS, editors. Investigation of patients with deep vein thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency. London: Med-Orion; 1991. p. 39–43.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Criado E, Farber MA, Marston WA, Danniel PF, Burnham CB, Keagy BA. The role of air plethysmography in the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. J Vasc Surg. 1998;27:660–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Howe HR Jr, Hansen KJ, Plonk GW Jr. Expanded criteria for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis: use of the pulse volume recorder and Doppler ultrasonography. Arch Surg. 1984;119:1167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schroeder PJ, Dunn E. Mechanical plethysmography and Doppler ultrasound: diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. Arch Surg. 1982;117:300.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. McDaniel HB, Marston WA, Farber MA, et al. Recurrence of chronic venous ulcers on the basis of clinical, etiologic, anatomic, and pathophysiologic criteria and air plethysmography. J Vasc Surg. 2002;35(4):723.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Bays RA, Healy DA, Atnip RG, et al. Validation of air plethysmography, photoplethysmography, and duplex ultrasonography in the evaluation of severe venous stasis. J Vasc Surg. 1994;20(5):721.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Tedeschi Filho W, Dezzotti NR, Joviliano EE, Moriya T, Piccinato CE. Influence of high-heeled shoes on venous function in young women. J Vasc Surg. 2012;56(4):1039–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2012.01.039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Raju S, Knepper J, May C, Knight A, Pace N, Jayaraj A. Ambulatory venous pressure, air plethysmography, and the role of calf venous pump in chronic venous disease. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2019;7(3):428–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvsv.2018.08.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kurstjens RL, de Wolf MA, Alsadah SA, et al. The value of hemodynamic measurements by air plethysmography in diagnosing venous obstruction of the lower limb. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2016;4(3):313–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvsv.2016.01.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Wheeler HB, Anderson FA Jr. Impedance plethysmography. In: Kempczinski RF, Yao JST, editors. Practical noninvasive vascular diagnosis. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Christopoulos DG, et al. Air plethysmography and the effect of elastic compression on venous hemodynamics of the leg. J Vasc Surg. 1987;5:148–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, West Virginia University – Charleston Division, Charleston, WV, USA

    Shadi Abu-Halimah

  2. Division of Vascular Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    William Marston

Authors
  1. Shadi Abu-Halimah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William Marston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shadi Abu-Halimah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery Division of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, West Virginia University – Charleston Division, Charleston, WV, USA

    Ali F. AbuRahma

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy The John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Bruce A. Perler

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, West Virginia University - Charleston Division, Charleston, WV, USA

    Ali F. AbuRahma

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Abu-Halimah, S., Marston, W. (2022). Plethysmographic Techniques in the Diagnosis of Venous Disease. In: AbuRahma, A.F., Perler, B.A. (eds) Noninvasive Vascular Diagnosis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60626-8_39

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60626-8_39

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-60625-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-60626-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation