Sclerotherapy of Spider Veins and Small Varicose Veins

Sclerotherapy of Spider Varicosities

Spider varicosities are superficial, fine branching varicose veins that occur most typically on the legs but may occur elsewhere. Treatment in the office is accomplished with injection sclerotherapy. This involves injecting these veins with a very fine needle and administering a medication that causes the veins to thrombose and sclerose. These veins are very small and after the blood is leached out of them they are no longer visible. Following a session the treated leg is wrapped with an ACE wrap to apply pressure to the leg and keep the veins from again becoming distended with blood. This allows the medication in the veins to have there maximal sclerosing effect.

Only a small amount of medication can be administered per sclerotherapy session as to avoid any of the medication becoming systemic and leading to thrombosis in the larger leg veins. Thus multiple sessions may be required to completely treat a patient. Each session is usually scheduled two to three weeks apart.

Possible complications include leakage of the sclerosing agent under the skin which may be temporarily irritating and may result in ulceration of the skin. This, however, is unusual and is self limited.

Steven P. Shikiar, MD, FACS email