A escleroterapia das veias safenas e um procedimento que precisa ser bem avaliado por aqueles especialistas que se dispoem a aplica-lo em seus pacientes. A tecnica de esleroterapia com espuma ja se revelou uma otima solucao para o tratamento das varizes e das microvarizes. Nao e uma tecnica nova como parecem mostrar algumas paginas da internet e principalmente alguns programas de televisao. Entretanto, a sua aplicacao nas veias safenas vem apresentando uma serie de efeitos colaterais que precisam ser seriamente levados em consideracao.Na medida do possivel disponibilizarei neste blog publicacoes concernentes ao tema.Abaixo um resumo de um controle prospectivo multicentrico publicado em 01 de junho de 2009 na revista PHLEBOLOGY, envolvendo 1025 pacientes de 20 clinicas de flebologia na Franca.__________________________________________________________________________________________Side-effects and complications of foam sclerotherapy of the great and small saphenous veins: a controlled multicentre prospective study including 1025 patientsJ-L Gillet * , J M Guedes , J-J Guex , C Hamel-Desnos , M Schadeck **, M Lauseker and F A Allaert* 51 bis Avenue Professeur Tixier, 38300 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France; 31 rue Amiral Gourbeyre, 63200 Riom, France; 32 boulevard Dubouchage, 06000 Nice, France; 18 rue des Rocquemonts, 14050 Caen, France; ** 5 rue Michel Charles, 75012 Paris, France; 7 B rue de lHopital, 67600 Selestat, France; Chaire dEvaluation Medicale Ceren ESC & Cenbiotech/dim CHU du Bocage, 21000 Dijon, France Correspondence: J-L Gillet MD, Vascular Medicine Phlebology, 51 bis Avenue Professeur Tixier, 38300 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France. Email: gilletjeanluc@aol.com Objectives: Increasing interest in foam sclerotherapy (FS) for saphenous insufficiency has highlighted the need to study the side-effects and complications of this treatment. The aim of this study is to better assess their nature and incidence. Methods: A multicentre, prospective and controlled study was carried out in which patients treated with FS for great (GSV) and small saphenous veins (SSV) trunk incompetence were included. Immediate untoward events were reported. Duplex ultrasound (DUS) examination was carried out to assess all patients between the eighth and 30th day. In addition, 20% of patients were called by an external auditor. Results: In total, 818 GSV and 207 SSV were treated in 1025 patients in 20 phlebology clinics. Ninety-nine percent of patients were controlled with DUS and non-duplex-checked patients were all called. The saphenous trunk was occluded in 90.3% of patients. Twenty-seven (2.6%) side-effects were reported: migraine (n = 8, 4 with visual disturbance); visual disturbance alone (n = 7); chest pressure alone (n = 7); and chest pressure associated with visual disturbance (n = 5). Eleven thrombo-embolic events occurred: 10 deep vein thrombosis (DVT) but only five in symptomatic patients, and one pulmonary embolism that occurred 19 days following the FS without DVT identified by DUS. One transient ischaemic stroke, with complete clinical recovery in 30 minutes, and one septicaemia with satisfactory outcome were reported as well. Conclusion: This study demonstrates in a large sample of patients a low rate of adverse reactions after FS of great and small saphenous trunks. However, but the eventuality of exceptional but more serious complications has to be taken into account in the management of patients. A multicentre study like this one takes