Foam Sclerotherapy for Reticular Veins of the Dorsal Hands: A Retrospective Review

BACKGROUNDDespite being the gold standard for lower extremity reticular vein treatment, few studies have yet evaluated foam sclerotherapy for hand veins. OBJECTIVEThis retrospective study evaluates the safety and efficacy of foam sclerotherapy for reticular veins of the dorsal hands. METHODSA telephone-based questionnaire was used for patient self-assessment of overall improvement, satisfaction, prevalence of adverse events, and willingness for repeat treatment after foam sclerotherapy with sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS). All patients had been treated with foam STS of 0.25% to 1.0% concentration using room air. RESULTSTwenty-one of 45 patients were successfully contacted, with a total of 54 treatment sessions performed on 38 hands. Overall, patients reported scores of 2.55 ± 0.56 for overall improvement (0 = none, 1= mild, 2 = moderate, and 3 = complete resolution) and 1.79 ± 0.41 for satisfaction with results (0 = not satisfied at all, 1 = mildly satisfied, and 2 = very satisfied), with few significant treatment-related adverse events. Most patients stated they would undergo another treatment if needed. CONCLUSIONThis single-center experience found that foam sclerotherapy with STS is a safe and effective treatment for reticular veins of the dorsal hands with excellent long-term patient satisfaction.