Diagnosis and treatment of early stages of chronic venous disease

Early stages of chronic venous disease (C1 and C2 of the CEAP classification) are manifested by lower limb varicose veins (telangiectasia,

reticular veins and trunk varicose veins) and mild swelling. They affect more than 50 % of the adult population of Europe. Diagnosis

requires a complete history and thorough physical examination, supplemented with duplex ultrasonography. The primary treatment

of symptomatic varicose veins is compression in case the condition cannot be managed by saphenous ablation. The gold standard of

surgical treatment of varicose veins in the great and small saphenous veins is ligation and stripping. Subsequently, surgery may be

supplemented with sclerotization and phlebectomy. In the past decade, endovenous procedures have come to the forefront. Currently,

endovenous laser treatment and radiofrequency ablation are considered to be as safe and effective as classical surgical treatment.

Keywords: chronic venous disease, varicose veins, lower limb swelling, diagnosis, treatment