A Quantitative Study of Long Saphenous Vein Morphology in Patients Undergoing Arterial Surgery

Objective:

To quantify the incidence and extent of structural changes present in the long saphenous vein of patients with arterial disease.

Design:

Observational study of saphenous vein morphology.

Setting:

Departments of Surgery and Pathology, Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Patients:

Sixty vein biopsies from patients undergoing arterial surgery.

Main outcome measures:

Intimal and medial thickness and morphology.

Results:

Smooth muscle cell hyperplasia, elastosis and fibrosis contributed to intimal thickening (> 10 μm) in 87% of veins. This was frequently associated with medial longitudinal muscle hypertrophy. Intimal thickness had a skewed distribution with a median (range) of 33 (8–381) μm, The upper limit of the normal range was 200 μm. The median (range) medial thickness was 293 (131–468) μm.

Conclusions:

Intimal thickening is common in the long saphenous vein of patients undergoing arterial surgery but is extensive in only a small proportion. The upper limit of the normal range was 200 μm.