What are the different types of veins in the leg?
There are three major systems of veins in the leg: (1) The superficial system: Just like the name implies, veins of this system are fairly close to the surface of the skin. Blood in these veins should flow into the veins of the deep system. Examples of important superficial system veins: the greater saphenous vein (GSV) and the small saphenous vein or lesser saphenous vein(LSV). (2) The deep system: Veins in this system are again, as the name implies, deep beneath the skin enclosed in the muscle. These veins are usually quite large compared to superficial veins and are the veins involved with the condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Deep veins return the majority of the blood directly to the heart. (3) The perforator veins: Perforator veins connect the deep and superficial systems at multiple sites down the leg. The sapheno/femoral junction located at the groin provides a direct connection between the superficial and deep venous system.
