Study of Commercial Grade Aetoxisclerol by Optical Means, in View of Its Use in Varicose Vein Treatment

Aetoxisclerol (or Polidocanol in usual medical terms) is an intermediate sclerosing agent that contains a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic pole and acts by altering the surface tension at the interface between the endothelial cells and their environment. The understanding of the interaction between the Polidocanol and the target veins (tissues) becomes an important factor in utilizing it in varicose veins disease. More, it seems that the exposure of the tissues impregnated with this medicine to laser radiation emitted at 1.06 μm improves the efficiency of the treatment. Because the commercially available Aetoxisclerol is a mixture of substances, when it is exposed to laser radiation, one should consider, actually the interaction with all the compounds. The absorption spectra in UV-VIS-NIR spectral ranges are measured for Aetoxisclerol. We exposed it at pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam between 2-30 min at known irradiation doses. The possible mechanisms implied in improvement of the efficiency of the irradiated Polidocanol are discussed.