Chronic venous insufficiency

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a medical condition in which the veins cannot pump enough blood back to the heart. The most common cause of CVI is superficial venous reflux which is a treatable condition. As functional venous valves are required to provide for efficient blood return from the lower extremities, this condition typically affects the legs. If the impaired vein function causes significant symptoms, such as swelling and ulcer formation, it is referred to as chronic venous disease. CVI includes varicose veins and superficial venous reflux ("hidden varicose veins") It is sometimes called chronic peripheral venous insufficiency and should not be confused with post-thrombotic syndrome in which the deep veins have been damaged by previous deep vein thrombosis.