particular points on examining varicose veins

Last reviewed 01/2018

The important questions to answer are:

  • are there true varicose veins or rather, prominent "spider veins" which are not varicose
  • is this a post-thrombotic limb with swelling, ulceration and varicose ecezma
  • if the veins are varicose, where are the causative incompetent perforators

Careful examination with the patient standing yields answers to the first two questions. The last question is resolved by performing the Trendelenburg-Brodie test or if that is negative, Perthes' test.