What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency and what causes it?
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a condition caused by long-term blockage of the veins of the legs. This causes the blood to back-up and cause damage to the tissues of the legs. It can be caused by having leaky valves in the veins, which prevents the return of blood from the legs to the heart. Also, CVI can be caused by an obstruction in the veins due to repeated clots or bouts of inflammation. The back-up of blood into the legs causes the legs to swell (edema) and take on golden or brownish tone. The tissue can also become hard (wooden) and in severe situations, ulcers can develop. CVI can be diagnosed by venous ultrasound (duplex), phethymography (see above) or (less frequently) by injecting contrast into the veins and taking x-rays (venogram). What are Venous Stasis Ulcers? Venous stasis ulcers are ulcers on the leg caused by CVI. This happens because the back-up of blood prevents fresh blood with oxygen and nutrients from reaching the skin. The skin can break down and form ulc
