Facial Reticular Veins Treated with Phlebectomy / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Ambulatory phlebectomy is a procedure for the removal of superficial veins through small incisions. It is commonly used to treat varicose veins in the legs. Compared with alternative procedures such as sclerotherapy and laser therapy, phlebectomy is less likely to cause conditions such as hyperpigmentation, cutaneous necrosis, superficial phlebitis and deep vein thrombosis. Phlebotomy is cosmetically effective for the removal of facial reticular veins, which are currently cosmetic issues. The first patient, a 42-year-old woman, presented with a 3 cm sized bluish linear patch on her right lower eyelid. Color-flow duplex ultrasonography confirmed that it was dilated superficial vein. The second patient, a 51-year-old woman, came to our clinic with reticular vessels on the nasal dorsum and left lower eyelid. Both patients were treated with phlebectomy and they showed a cosmetically satisfactory outcome. This paper reports on two cases of facial reticular vessels that were treated with phlebectomy and the course of the procedure.