Comparative trial between sodium tetradecyl sulfate and glycerin in the treatment of telangiectatic leg veins. Double-blind prospective comparative trial between foamed and liquid polidocanol and sodium tetradecyl sulfate in the treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. Treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins: double-blind prospective comparative trial between aethoxyskerol and sotradecol. Treatment of essential telangiectasia: effects of increasing concentrations of polidocanol. Treatment of telangiectasia: comparison of sclerosing agents. Sclerotherapy for leg telangiectasia--a blinded comparative trial of polidocanol and hypertonic saline. Sclerotherapy of telangiectases and reticular veins: a double-blind, randomized, comparative clinical trial of polidocanol, sodium tetradecyl sulphate and isotonic saline (EASI study).
Thirteen patients were treated with either sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) or glycerin to compare the efficacy and adverse sequelae of each agent.
                To determine the relative safety and efficacy of two sclerosant solutions.
                Each patient's leg veins that were from 0.2 to 0.4 mm in diameter and that did not have incompetence from the saphenofemoral junction and whose feeding reticular veins had been already treated in a prior sclerotherapy session were randomly treated with either 0.25% STS or 72% glycerin solution. Patients were evaluated from 2 to 6 months postsclerotherapy for overall clinical improvement and incidence of adverse sequelae.
                Glycerin was comparable to STS in discomfort of injection but demonstrated a significant decrease in bruising, swelling, and postprocedural hyperpigmentation. Glycerin also demonstrated a better, more rapid clearance of treated telangiectasias.
                Seventy-two percent glycerin is a safe and effective sclerosant with fewer side effects and more rapid clearance of telangiectatic leg veins than STS. Twenty subjects were treated with either polidocanol (POL) or sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) to compare the efficacy and adverse sequelae of each agent.
                To determine the safety and efficacy of two widely used sclerosing agents.
                After the exclusion of saphenofemoral junction incompetency, each subject's leg veins were categorized by size (< 1, 1-3, and 3-6 mm in diameter). Each leg was then randomized to be treated with 0.5%, 1%, or 1% foam of POL or 0.25%, 0.5%, or 0.5% foam of STS according to vein size. An independent panel of four physicians, blinded to treatment, performed randomized photographic evaluations obtained pretreatment and 12 weeks post-treatment. Subject satisfaction index and overall clinical improvement assessment were also obtained.
                An average 83% improvement was noted for all vein sizes in all subjects with both POL and STS after a single treatment. Subjects were satisfied with treatment, regardless of the sclerosing agent used or the vein size treated. There was no statistically significant difference in adverse effects between each group.
                Both POL and STS are safe and effective sclerosing agents in the treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. Both are very tolerable and demonstrate similar post-treatment sequelae. One hundred twenty-nine patients were treated with either polidocanol (POL) or sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) to compare the efficacy and adverse sequelae of each agent.
                To determine the safety and efficacy of two sclerosing solutions.
                Each patient's leg veins that did not have incompetence from the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) were divided into three categories by size (<1 mm, 1-3 mm, 3-6 mm). Each leg was randomly treated with either 0.25%, 0.5%, or 1.5% of STS or 0.5%, 1.0%, or 3% of POL respective of size. An independent, three-panel, blindly randomized photographic examination was obtained pretreatment and at 4 and 16 weeks. Patient satisfaction index and overall clinical improvement assessment were also obtained.
                All patients had an average of 70% improvement and were 70-72% satisfied in all vein categories treated with either solution. There was no significant difference in adverse effects between each group except for a decrease in ulcerations and swelling in the POL group.
                Both STS and POL are safe and effective sclerosing solutions for varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. A double-blind, double-paired comparison study was performed to evaluate the effects of increasing concentrations of polidocanol in the sclerotherapy of essential telangiectasias of the legs. Polidocanol 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.0% were compared with regard to clinical effectiveness, safety, and patient acceptance. All dosages were well tolerated by the patients. There were no allergic reactions to polidocanol and no cases of superficial ulceration nor necrosis. Among those whose veins cleared, there was little difference in time to clearing for the four concentrations, which averaged three to four treatment sessions. No statistically significant differences existed among the four dosages with respect to level of improvement, itching, or neovascularization. Polidocanol 0.75% and 1.0%, however, caused more side effects noted by patients and induced more hyperpigmentation than did the lower concentrations. Polidocanol 0.25% yielded the lowest percentage of patients whose veins cleared. The 0.50% solution was the most effective concentration for total overall clearing of the types of vessels treated in this study. From this information it appears that 0.50% polidocanol may be the sclerosing agent of choice. A double-blind, double-paired comparison, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to determine the optimal agent for sclerotherapy of spider telangiectasias of the lower extremities. Sodium tetradecyl sulfate 0.5%, polidocanol 0.25%, heparsal, and normal saline control were evaluated in terms of clinical effectiveness and patient acceptance. Although all of the agents, except for the control, were effective, polidocanol was found to have the fewest adverse reactions and afforded the greatest patient comfort. Hypertonic saline (HS) and polidocanol (POL) have been in use around the world for sclerotherapy of telangiectasia for many years. However, despite numerous articles in the literature extolling the virtues of their individual use, few studies scientifically compare their relative efficacies.
                To compare, in a statistically significant number of female patients, the relative efficacy of hypertonic saline and polidocanol as sclerosants of leg telangiectasia and reticular feeding veins, using each patient as her own control.
                Eighty-one women with roughly matching leg telangiecasia were treated with sclerotherapy. One leg was injected with 20% saline/2% lignocaine, the other with 1% polidocanol, with the patients blinded as to the sclerosant used for each leg. Assessment of percent reduction of vessels, and the complications of matting and hemosiderin staining was conducted at 2 months by 3 methods: the patient's satisfaction, the treating physician's evaluation, and blinded assessment of before and after photographs.
                There was no statistically significant difference between HS and POL treated legs when assessed clinically or photographically. However, POL caused more staining and matting, and despite patients finding HS more painful at injection, patient satisfaction at follow-up was higher with the HS treated leg.
                20% HS and 1% POL have equal efficacy in sclerosing leg telangiectasia and reticular feeding veins. POL causes more adverse sequelae, although these may be related to the solution concentration. To assess the efficacy and safety of polidocanol (POL) in comparison to sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) and isotonic saline (placebo) for sclerotherapy of telangiectases or reticular veins by means of standardized digital imaging system, independent medical observers and detailed monitoring.
                Of 316 randomized patients, 160 with telangiectases were randomly assigned to 0.5% POL, 1% STS or placebo, and 156 with reticular veins received 1% POL, 1% STS or placebo. Veins selected for injection were clearly visible telangiectases or reticular veins in a predefined treatment area (10x10 cm). Exact retrieval of the location was guaranteed by a newly established digital imaging system. Images were taken before first injection and 12 and 26 weeks after the last of three possible injection visits, and evaluated by the investigator and two blinded independent observers. The detailed safety monitoring included ultrasound screening for 'silent' deep vein thrombosis, electrocardiograms and clinical laboratory tests.
                POL demonstrated a statistically significant superiority versus placebo (P < 0.0001) for the primary criterion 'improvement of veins'. Significantly more patients were satisfied with POL at 12 or 26 weeks (84%, 88%) compared to STS (64%, 63%; P < 0.0001) and placebo (14%, 11%; P < 0.0001). POL was safe and well tolerated apart from expected local symptoms at the injection site.
                Sclerotherapy of telangiectases and reticular veins with detergent-like sclerosants such as polidocanol (POL) or sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) is a well-established technique. However, evidence from clinical trials comparing these substances with a non-active solution is sparse and does not live up to expectations of modern clinical trial concepts necessary for authorisation purposes. The presented multicentre EASI study fulfils these requirements and clearly demonstrates that Sclerotherapy of C1 veins with POL is highly effective and deserves the adjunct 'gold standard'.
The evidence did not suggest superior efficacy or patient satisfaction for any one sclerosing agent used in the treatment of telangiectasias of the lower limbs, but the agents studied showed superiority to a normal saline placebo. However, the amount of available evidence in this field is small and the overall methodological quality of the research was poor, as was the quality of reporting. More research is needed to determine the optimal agent(s) and the ideal dosing to achieve the best results and maximize patient satisfaction. Future research efforts should incorporate more demographic data and symptom measures to allow for comparison with findings from observational studies, thereby aiding assessment of how various risk groups respond to treatment.