Foam ‐in‐vein: A review of rheological properties and characterization methods for optimization of sclerosing foams

AbstractVaricose veins are chronic venous defects that affect>20% of the population in developed countries. Among potential treatments, sclerotherapy is one of the most commonly used. It involves endovenous injection of a surfactant solution (or foam) in varicose veins, inducing damage to the endothelial layer and subsequent vessel sclerosis. Treatments have proven to be effective in the short ‐term, however recurrence is reported at rates of up to 64% 5‐year post‐treatment. Thus, once diagnosed with varicosities there is a high probability of a permanently reduced quality of life. Recently, foam sclerotherapy has become increasingly popular over its liquid counterpart, since foams can treat larger and longer varicosities more effectively, they can be imaged using ultrasound, and require lower amounts of sclerosing agent. In order to minimize recurrence rates however, an investigation of current treatment methods should lead to more effective and long‐lasting effects. The li terature is populated with studies aimed at characterizing the fundamental physics of aqueous foams; nevertheless, there is a significant need for appropriate product development platforms. Despite successfully capturing the microstructural evolution of aqueous foams, the complexity of current model s renders them inadequate for pharmaceutical development. This review article will focus on the physics of foams and the attempts at optimizing them for sclerotherapy. This takes the form of a discu...
Source: Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Tags: REVIEW ARTICLE Source Type: research