What is chronic venous insufficiency of the colon?

Medical Advisory BoardAll articles are reviewed for accuracy by our Medical Advisory Board
Educational purpose only • Exercise caution as content is pending human review
Article Review Status
Submitted
Under Review
Approved

Last updated: February 7, 2025View editorial policy

Personalize

Help us tailor your experience

Which best describes you? Your choice helps us use language that's most understandable for you.

From the Guidelines

Chronic venous insufficiency of the colon is not a recognized medical condition.

Definition and Diagnosis

  • The provided evidence does not mention chronic venous insufficiency of the colon, instead, it focuses on nonthrombotic iliac vein lesions (NIVL) and their diagnosis and treatment 1.
  • The consensus statement from the VIVA Foundation, the American Venous Forum, and the American Vein and Lymphatic Society recommends the use of invasive diagnosis with venography and IVUS for NIVL treatment 1.
  • The evidence suggests that IVUS is more sensitive than venography for detecting venous pathology, particularly compression, and is recommended for dynamic evaluation of NIVL 1.

Clinical Relevance

  • The study highlights the importance of clinical evaluation and venography/IVUS for the diagnosis and treatment of NIVL, rather than relying on axial imaging with CT or magnetic resonance imaging alone 1.
  • The use of IVUS for NIVL intervention has become commonplace due to its greater sensitivity for venous pathology, and its ability to detect vessel wall features such as mural thickening and nonfunctional valves 1.
  • The definitive threshold for treatment to improve symptoms among patients with NIVL remains an area of ongoing debate and investigation, with some studies suggesting an area reduction of >50% or a diameter reduction of >61% as a metric for patient selection 1.

From the Research

Definition and Overview

  • Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common disorder characterized by the retrograde flow of blood in the lower extremity 2.
  • It is a progressive degenerative disease of the venous walls in the superficial venous system of the legs, which can impair the quality of life of those affected 3.
  • CVI can be asymptomatic, cause subjective symptoms, or lead to objective alterations, such as edema, cutaneous alterations, and venous leg ulcers 3.

Pathophysiology

  • The pathophysiology of CVI is only partly elucidated, and even the development of varicose veins remains unexplained 4.
  • Vein valve dysfunction appears to be the common final pathway in the development of CVI, resulting in increases in retrograde flow and distal venous pressure 2.
  • Microcirculation is greatly affected by CVI, which occasionally induces skin changes and ulcers 4.

Diagnosis and Classification

  • The diagnosis of CVI is established by history, physical examination, and functional venous testing with duplex imaging or phlebography 2.
  • Classification systems, such as the CEAP classification, have been developed to stratify CVI according to its severity and guide therapeutic endeavors 3.
  • Instruments, such as the venous clinical severity score, are used for assessment of the severity of CVI 3.

Treatment

  • Treatment of CVI targets the improvement of subjective complaints and objectifiable alterations, as well as the prevention of complications such as phlebitis and formation of ulcers 3.
  • Invasive procedures, compression treatment, and pharmaceutical treatment are complementary, and a combination of these procedures can be meaningful 3.
  • Compression therapy with medical compression stockings is the gold standard in the noninvasive treatment of symptomatic venous diseases 3.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the Colon

  • There is no evidence to suggest that chronic venous insufficiency is directly related to the colon 4, 2, 3, 5, 6.
  • The provided studies focus on chronic venous insufficiency in the context of the lower extremities, and there is no mention of the colon.

References

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Research

Chronic venous insufficiency.

Perspectives in vascular surgery and endovascular therapy, 2005

Research

Chronic venous insufficiency - a review of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG, 2017

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

Have a follow-up question?

Our Medical A.I. is used by practicing medical doctors at top research institutions around the world. Ask any follow up question and get world-class guideline-backed answers instantly.