Summary
Perforating veins, or “perforators”, connect the superficial leg veins to the deep veins in the leg. They are generally only visible in ultrasound scans if they are pathologically dilated. Investigation of the perforators and their flow curves is one of the greatest challenges in duplex ultrasound of the leg veins. In diagrams and images, this article shows how the flow curves most commonly look. Most of the perforators involved in a varicosity are the re-entry point of blood into the deep venous system and are not primarily pathologically dilated. A perforator itself is rarely the highest point of insufficiency; these veins then generally lie in the thigh. The flow in perforators in the case of insufficiency of the deep venous system and after trauma is also illustrated.
Keywords
Perforating veins - duplex ultrasound - varicosis - venous insufficiency
