Clinical recurrence appears with the same frequency in all three treatment groups, but the responsible pathological mechanisms seem to differ. Most reflux into the great saphenous vein and side branches appears after endovenous laser ablation, whereas more saphenofemoral junction-independent recurrences are seen after high ligation/stripping.

14 years after flush ligation of the SFJ or SPJ with stripping of the incompetent saphenous vein, junctional recurrences were found in less than one-third of re-examined extremities. In the absence of surgical errors, we must assume neovascularisation as cause for these recurrences. Duplex US determined a clinically relevant recurrence (> 3 mm in diameter) in only 7% of limbs. Post-operative varices seem to develop less often after SPJ surgery than after SFJ surgery and according to our data, obesity (BMI > or = 30) constitutes a significant risk factor.

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Summary Objective: Measurement of rectal temperature is the most common method and considered gold standard for obtaining body temperature in dogs. So far, no study has been performed comparing agreement between rectal and auricular measurements in a large case series. The purpose of the study was to assess agreement between rectal and auricular temperature measurement in normothermic, hypothermic, and hyperthermic dogs with consideration of different environmental conditions and ear conformations. Materials and methods: Reference values for both methods were established using 62 healthy dogs. Three hundred dogs with various diseases (220 normothermic, 32 hypothermic, 48 hyperthermic) were enrolled in this prospective study. Rectal temperature was compared to auricular temperature and differences in agreement with regard to environmental temperature, relative humidity, and different ear conformations (pendulous versus prick ears) were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: Correlation between rectal and auricular temperature was significant (r: 0.892; p < 0.01). However, Bland-Altman plots showed an inacceptable variation of values (bias: 0.300 °C; limits of agreement: –0.606 to 1.206 °C). This variation was above a maximal clinical tolerance of 0.3 °C, which was established by experts’ opinion (n = 16). Relative humidity had a significant influence (p = 0.001), whereas environmental temperature did not. Conclusion: Variation between the two methods of measuring body temperature was clinically unacceptable. Clinical relevance: Although measurement of auricular temperature is fast, simple, and well tolerated, this method provides a clinically unacceptable difference to the rectal measurement.

It has been shown in some recently published papers that the intracranial pressure can be determined by dynamometric measurement of the outflow pressure of the central retinal vein (VOP). The knowledge gained by the basic experiments of Baurmann in 1925 has been forgotten by the ophthalmic community for many years. In this paper the basic phenomena of venous collapse are outlined which are fundamentally different from the biomechanics of the arterial collapse phenomenon observed by ophthalmodynamometry. A practical guideline is given for the dynamometric measurement of venous outflow pressure which equals the intracranial pressure. Performing dynamometry of the central retinal vein enables the ophthalmologist to determine intracranial pressure in a non-invasive way.