Correlation of severity of chronic venous disease with capillary morphology assessed by capillary microscopy

A, Simple loop capillaries (arrow) commonly seen in control subjects and in patients of CEAP clinical stages C1, C2, and C3. B, This photograph shows early capillary convolutions with variable number of loops (arrow) usually seen in C4a patients. C, Photograph shows convoluted tortuous capillaries seen in CEAP stages C4b and C5. D, Typical glomerulus-shaped capillary seen in lipodermatosclerosis and healed ulceration (C4b and C5). Here, the multiple proliferation of single capillary has formed a “glomerulus.”

This graph shows the number of visible capillaries per mm² in the six CEAP stages studied. The CEAP stages are shown on the horizontal axis and the capillary density on the vertical axis. The horizontal bar shows the median capillary density.

This graph shows the number of convolutions per capillary on the vertical axis in six CEAP stages. Horizontal bars represent the median value of each group.