Risk Factors of Hyperpigmentation and Telangiectatic Matting Persistence after Sclerotherapy in C1 Patients

Hyperpigmentation and telangiectatic matting are frequent adverse events after sclerotherapy in C1 patients. Venous specialists need to identify the risk factors of these adverse events. Objective. To identify the risk factors predisposing to persistent hyperpigmentation and telangiectatic matting after sclerotherapy in C1 patients. Material and methods. A database of 72 C1 patients who undergone sclerotherapy were assessed. The analysis included the following variables: age, body mass index (BMI), duration of the disease, number of sclerotherapy procedures, amount of sclerosing agent used, prolonged compression. Long-term compression implied wearing compression hosiery for 3 days after each procedure, as well as for at least 5 days throughout 4 months after the first procedure. In other cases, patients used compression only for 3 days after each sclerotherapy procedure. Class 2 stockings were used for compression. Results. After 4 months, hyperpigmentation and telangiectatic matting persisted in 12 (16.7%) and 7 (9.7%) patients, respectively. Prolonged post-procedural compression was used by 2 (16.7%) patients with persisted hyperpigmentation and 34 (57.7%) patients without hyperpigmentation (p=0.012). One (14%) patient with persisted telangiectatic matting wore compression stockings for a long time while 35 (58%) patients with this complication used short-term compression (p=0.107). Mean BMI was 25.2±5.4 kg/m2 in patients with hyperpigmentation and 22.2±3.2 kg/m2 in those without hyperpigmentation (p=0.089). In patients with and without persisted telangiectatic matting, BMI was 25.2±4.5 and 22.4±3.6 kg/m2, respectively. The only found risk factor that had an impact on persistence of hyperpigmentation and teleangiectatic matting was prolonged compression therapy in the post–procedural period — 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01—0.63; p=0.015) for hyperpigmentation and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01—1.0; p=0.05) for telangiectatic matting. Conclusions. The risk of persistent hyperpigmentation and telangiectatic matting after sclerotherapy in C1 patients is significantly reduced by prolonged wearing of compression stockings after treatment.