Although people in Germany seemed to be particularly frequently affected, spider veins and reticular veins are a worldwide problem. The incidence of varicose disease basically increases with age, but studies have shown that many young people are already affected by spider veins: about 14% of the under-30s in Germany have spider veins and even 2% of 18- to 19-year olds.Īn international study (Rabe, International Angiology 2012 31:105) investigated whether vein disease is less common in the Far East than in the western world, as is often asserted. Somewhat surprisingly, men are affected by spider veins as often as women, although they seem to be less bothered by these unsightly dilated veins. Of course, there is a wide diversity of manifestations here and this 60% includes single spider veins as well as more severe forms of disease. The Bonn Vein Study (Rabe, Phlebologie 2003 32:1) showed that about 60% of adults in Germany have spider veins or reticular varicose veins, without having developed any large varicose veins. Spider veins are a common disease that affects more people than almost any other medical condition. C1 covers the mildest form of varicose disease, generally considered as a cosmetic problem rather than a medical one. In technical language, both spider veins and reticular veins are classified together in one group as C1 varicose veins. This vein also needs to be treated as it is supplying the spider veins with blood. Spider veins may also be very pronounced: in the case below, the spider veins are due to a diseased perforating vein (perforator) connecting the systems. The following photos show examples of spider veins: Spider veins may occur on their own or together with large varicose veins. Pronounced spider veins may cause symptoms and may indicate that larger varicose veins are already present and possibly even be the cause of the spider veins. Spider veins are usually considered to be purely an aesthetic problem, but they may be the first visible sign of venous insufficiency that will become worse with time. They may occur singly or in clusters and, in the worst cases, extend over a relatively large area on the leg. Spider veins may be bluish or reddish-purple in colour and have a dotted, stripy, fan-shaped, or star-like (starbursts) appearance. They can be found anywhere on the leg, but appear particularly frequently on the outer side of the lower leg and thigh and the inner side of the knee. For this reason, the spider veins can be seen shimmering clearly through the skin, particularly in fair-skinned people. The dilated, small veins lie within the skin and not beneath it like the large varicose veins. With a diameter of less than 1 mm, spider veins are the miniature versions of varicose veins.
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