Disease or Syndrome
varicose vein

[ var-i-kohs veyn ]
Subclass of:
Vascular Diseases
Definitions related to varicosity:
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(varicose vein) A condition in which a vein, most often in the legs, becomes permanently enlarged, twisted, and painful. This may be caused by valves in the vein that don't work properly or by weakness in the vein walls.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(varicose vein) A vascular abnormality characterized by the presence of enlarged and tortuous veins, particularly in the legs.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(varicose vein) Dilated tortuous vein, usually in subcutaneous tissues of the leg; incompetency of venous valves is associated.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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(varicose veins) Enlarged and tortuous veins.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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(varicose veins) Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin. They usually occur in the legs, but also can form in other parts of the body. Hemorrhoids are a type of varicose vein. Your veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing toward your heart. If the valves are weak or damaged, blood can back up and pool in your veins. This causes the veins to swell, which can lead to varicose veins. Varicose veins are very common. You are more at risk if you are older, are female, have obesity, don't exercise, or have a family history of varicose veins. They can also be more common in pregnancy. Doctors often diagnose varicose veins from a physical exam. Sometimes you may need additional tests. Exercising, losing weight, elevating your legs when resting, and not crossing them when sitting can help keep varicose veins from getting worse. Wearing loose clothing and avoiding long periods of standing can also help. If varicose veins are painful or you don't like the way they look, your doctor may recommend procedures to remove them. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Varices are dilated veins in the distal esophagus or proximal stomach caused by elevated pressure in the portal venous system, typically from cirrhosis. They may bleed massively but cause no other symptoms. Diagnosis is by upper endoscopy. Treatment is primarily with endoscopic banding and IV octreotide. Sometimes a transjugular...Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins. Any superficial vein may become varicosed, but the veins most commonly affected are those in your legs. That's because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins of your lower body.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Varicose veins are subcutaneous, permanently dilated veins 3 mm or more in diameter when measured in a standing position.Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
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Varicose vein, vein that is twisted and distended with blood. The term varix is also used for similar abnormalities in arteries and in lymphatic vessels. Varicose veins occur in a number of areas, including the legs, the esophagus, the spermatic veins (which return blood from the testes; varicose...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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