08/17/2026
π©Έ DID YOU KNOW?
Series 3 of 5
Sometimes the Problem in Your Legsβ¦ Isnβt Actually in Your Legs.
When someone has leg swelling, heaviness, pain, varicose veins, skin changes, or venous ulcers, we often start by evaluating the veins in the legs.
But what happens when the leg ultrasound doesnβt fully explain the symptoms?
π Sometimes we need to look higher.
The veins in your legs eventually drain into the larger veins in your pelvis and abdomen. If blood flow is narrowed, compressed, obstructed, or otherwise abnormal higher up, it can affect how efficiently blood drains from the legs.
π©Έ An abdominal/pelvic venous ultrasound may evaluate:
IVC (Inferior Vena Cava)
The major vein responsible for returning blood from the lower body back toward the heart.
Iliac Veins
These large pelvic veins receive blood from the legs. Abnormal flow, narrowing, obstruction, or compression can contribute to lower-extremity venous symptoms.
Venous Flow Patterns
Doppler waveforms provide important clues. Changes in normal respiratory phasicity or significant differences between sides can sometimes suggest a problem farther upstream.
β οΈ When might we want to look higher?
Persistent or unexplained leg swelling, especially when one leg is significantly different from the other; recurrent or difficult-to-heal venous ulcers; recurrent DVT; extensive collateral veins; unusual venous Doppler flow patterns; or symptoms that simply donβt match what weβre seeing in the legs.
π‘ The important part?
A good vascular ultrasound exam isnβt just about finding an abnormality. Itβs about asking:
Does this finding actually explain the patientβs symptoms and if it doesnβt, where else should we look?
Sometimes getting to the root of a lower-extremity venous problem means looking beyond the legs.
π©΅ EVS Imaging
Comprehensive Vascular Diagnostic Ultrasound
π 9300 E. Raintree Dr., #130, Suite 7
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
π 602-480-6328
π 602-926-2439
π§ [email protected]
π evsimagingaz.com
Better Imaging. Better Care. Better Results.
Accurate, Comprehensive Ultrasounds for Venous and Arterial Health.