CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY

Course overview

CHRONIC VENOUS DISEASE (CVD) COMPRISES A BROAD SPECTRUM OF VENOUS DISORDERS CHARACTERIZED BY SEVERELY IMPAIRED BLOOD RETURN IN THE LOWER EXTREMITIES. DUE TO UNDERESTIMATING THE SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANCE AND FAILING TO FULLY RECOGNIZE THE VARIOUS VENOUS DISEASES, IT IS GENERALLY OVERLOOKED BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. VARICOSE VEINS AFFLICT MORE THAN 25 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND MORE THAN 6 MILLION HARBORS SEVERE VENOUS DISEASE, MAKING CVD A PREVALENT HEALTH CONDITION. THE MOST COMMON SIGNS OF CVD ARE TELANGIECTASES, RETICULAR VEINS, VARICOSE VEINS, AND VENOUS ULCERATIONS. CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY (CVI) STEMS FROM PERSISTENT AMBULATORY VENOUS HYPERTENSION. FREQUENT CAUSES OF VENOUS HYPERTENSION INCLUDE INSUFFICIENT MUSCULAR PUMPING, MALFUNCTIONING VENOUS VALVES (REFLUX), AND VENOUS OBSTRUCTION, WHICH LEADS TO A CASCADE OF MORPHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND HISTOLOGIC ABNORMALITIES. THIS ACTIVITY DISCUSSES THE ETIOLOGY, RISK FACTORS, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT OF CVD AND EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THESE PATIENTS.