[Varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, postthrombotic syndrome (author's transl)].

A short review concerning definition, clinical relevance and therapy of varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency and postthrombotic syndrome is given. It is proposed to define chronic venous insufficiency on a morphological base. Stage I is characterized by subfascial congestion, oedema and corona phlebectatica, stage II by induration and stasis dermatitis, stage III by the occurrence of venous ulcers. The postthrombotic syndrome is a special form of chronic venous insufficiency which can be distinguished by the clinical pattern alone.