Microcirculatory changes in venous disease

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility to measure microcirculatory blood flow changes in patients with venous ulcers, by using the laser speckle imaging.Nine patients with a leg ulcer were measured with the laser speckle imager in a sitting position before and after mimicking venous hypertension, with the legs raised, by applying a blood pressure cuff and inflating it to 60 mmHg.The results were inconclusive, due to the fact that a lot of practical problems interfered with the measurements, e.g. movement artefacts and inadequate wound visualisation.The additional value of laser speckle imaging in daily practice for wound care still remains an important question for further research. A reliable, reproducible microcirculation measurement in venous ulcers might predict venous ulcer healing and recurrence and therefore would be a valuable diagnostic tool in daily practice.