Parameters:
(1) anatomic locations involved
(2) types of tissue involved
Anatomic locations:
(1) trunk
(2) upper extremity
(3) lower extremity
(4) genitalia
(5) internal viscera
subscore for anatomic locations =
= SUM(points for anatomic locations involved)
Types of tissue involved based on clinical and/or imaging studies:
(1) skin
(2) subcutaneous tissue
(3) muscle
(4) bone
(5) joint
subscore for tissues involved =
= SUM(points for tissues involved)
total severity score =
= SUM(both subscores)
Interpretation:
• minimum subscore for anatomic locations: 1
• maximum subscore for anatomic locations: 5
• minimum subscore for tissue involvement: 1
• maximum subscore for tissue involvement: 5
• minimum total score: 2
• maximum total score: 10
• The higher the total score the more severe the venous malformation.
|
Total Score
|
Severity
|
|
2 or 3
|
low
|
|
4 or 5
|
intermediate
|
|
6 to 10
|
high
|
Limitations:
• A single point is given whether one or both upper extremities is involved.
• The size of a lesion within each anatomic location could vary considerably.
• No point assignment is given for visceral tissues. For the implementation viscera will be combined with the subcutaneous tissue involvement. The rationale for this is the listing of tissues involved in the Results section of the abstract.
• The number of tissues involved is cumulative over all of the anatomic sites involved. A person with multiple tissues involved in multiple anatomic areas could have the same severity score as a person with a single tissue involved in the same anatomic sites.
• The total volume of the malformation might be a better measure of severity. This would be feasible since MRI imaging is presumable performed.
