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Introduction

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a progressive vascular disorder resulting from impaired venous return in the lower extremities that is most commonly due to valvular incompetence and/or obstruction of venous outflow.  The resulting venous hypertension leads to a variety of clinical manifestations, ranging from cosmetic findings (eg, telangiectasias, varicose veins) to more advanced complications (eg, stasis dermatitis, lipodermatosclerosis, venous leg ulcers).  CVI is a prevalent yet frequently underrecognized condition associated with substantial morbidity and a significant impact on patient quality of life.

Anatomy

The lower extremity venous system consists of:

  • Superficial veins:  Drain the skin and subcutaneous tissue.  Important superficial veins of the lower extremity include:
    • Great saphenous vein:  Runs along the medial leg and thigh and drains into the femoral vein at the saphenofemoral junction.

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