Abstract：Objective: This study was undertaken to explore different patient positions(supine position and standing position) by color Doppler flow image(CDFI) measuring chronic venous incompetence(CVI) quantitatively. Methods: Thirty-nine impaired lower limbs in 25 patients and 12 healthy limbs in 10 patients were tested in supine position and standing position. Great saphenous vein(GSV), common femoral vein(CFV) and superficial femoral vein(SFV) were evoked reflux by Valsalva method, and popliteal vein(POPV) by compression maneuver. Reflux time(RT, s) and peak reflux velocity(PRV, cm/s) were measured. The total RT, total PRV and the number of reflux segments were calculated. Results: All of the segments’ RT are less than 0.5s despite supine position and standing position in healthy group. No meaningful difference about the number of reflux segments is found between supine and upright. The overall RT of supine position is significantly longer than that of standing position. The overall PRV has no significant difference between supine and standing position. The diameters of GSV, CFV, SFV and POPV of the patients and healthy group in standing position are significantly wider than that in supine position. Conclusion: We can evaluate CVI by CDFI with patients in supine position or upright, but it is more convenient that the patients are in supine position. Supine position might be the first choice for detecting CVI for the old, incapable and the person who can not stand for long time.
2007, Vol. 18 
