[Evaluation of venotropic drugs by venous gas plethysmography. A study of procyanidolic oligomers (author's transl)].

Venous tone in the lower limbs can be measured by venous occlusion gas plethysmography before and after giving venotropic drugs. Four groups, each of which included ten patients with widespread varicose veins, were given different medications. Each patient was studied by plethysmography during the first five hours following drug ingestion. In untreated controls, venous tone decreased during rest. A reference drug was uneffective. Increase in venous tone induced by 150 mg of procyanidolic oligomers was comparable to that which followed ingestion of a high dose of hamamelis-hydrastis mixture.