The assessment of primary varicose veins by Doppler ultrasound--the role of sapheno-popliteal incompetence and the short saphenous systems in calf varicosities.

One hundred consecutive limbs presenting with primary varicose veins to a surgical outpatient clinic were assessed clinically and by Doppler ultrasound. By this means the incidence of sapheno-femoral and sapheno-popliteal incompetence was established and the relative role of these two systems in the development of varicosities determined.