Highlights & Basics
- Chronic venous insufficiency signs and symptoms include increasing leg pain, fatigue, and heaviness with prolonged standing, associated with dilated tortuous veins.
- More severe cases exhibit progressive skin changes, venous stasis dermatitis, lipodermatosclerosis, and frank ulceration.
- Underlying venous insufficiency is most efficiently documented, localized, and graded by duplex ultrasound.
- Conservative treatment requires graded compression.
- Open surgical or endovenous treatment options may be used in highly selected cases.
Quick Reference
History & Exam
Key Factors
Other Factors
Diagnostics Tests
Treatment Options
Definition
Epidemiology
Etiology
Pathophysiology
Images
Serial images of severe CVI (C6) and chronic ulceration of the right lower extremity
Atrophie blanche in a patient with CVI
Lipodermatosclerosis and leg ulcer with hypercoagulable state and recurrent episodes of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Serial images of recurrent venous ulcer with resolution at 3 months
Revised Venous Clinical Severity Score
Citations
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Bergan JJ, Schmid-Schönbein GW, Smith PD, et al. Chronic venous disease. N Engl J Med. 2006 Aug 3;355(5):488-98.[Abstract]
American Vein and Lymphatic Society (American College of Phlebology). Treatment of superficial venous disease of the lower leg. Feb 2016 [internet publication].[Full Text]
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