"Diagnosis and Treatment of Edema Patients: Chronic Venous Disease Must Be Checked First"

Yoon Sang-cheol, Professor of Surgery at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital
Recipient of the Korean Society for Venous Research Outstanding Oral Presentation Award

Suncheonhyang University Seoul Hospital announced on the 10th that Professor Yoon Sang-cheol from the Department of Surgery received the Excellent Oral Presentation Award at the Spring Academic Conference of the Korean Society for Phlebology for presenting clinical experiences on patients with lower extremity edema.

Professor Yoon Sang-chul, Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital. [Photo by Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital]

Professor Yoon analyzed the diagnostic results of 112 new patients who visited the vascular surgery outpatient clinic with lower extremity edema over a period of 9 months. As a result, 37.5% of the edema patients were diagnosed with lower extremity edema related to chronic venous diseases such as varicose veins, lymphedema, and post-thrombotic syndrome. 25% had idiopathic lower extremity edema of unknown cause, and more than half of the patients showed symptom improvement after treatment based on chronic venous insufficiency, including venous function enhancers and wearing compression stockings.

Additionally, 25% of the patients were confirmed to have edema associated with musculoskeletal diseases such as spinal stenosis and knee arthritis, and 9% had edema related to systemic diseases such as heart failure and renal failure. 3.5% had physiological edema associated with pregnancy, obesity, etc., and edema caused by skin inflammation such as dermatitis and bee stings.

Professor Yoon stated, "Through this study, 62.5% of the total patients were diagnosed with edema related to lower extremity venous diseases, confirming the importance of diagnosing chronic venous diseases in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with lower extremity edema."

In this study, among patients who visited with lower extremity edema, 21.4% had varicose veins, and 15.2% had venous reflux requiring varicose vein surgery. On the other hand, 25% had edema associated with musculoskeletal diseases, 12.5% had lower extremity edema related to internal medicine diseases, 6.3% were patients with vascular occlusion due to lower extremity thrombosis, and 2% were patients with lower extremity edema caused by venous obstruction.

Professor Yoon explained, "According to the 2022 guidelines reported by the European Society for Vascular Surgery, the causes of lower extremity edema are diverse and can act in combination. If the cause of edema related to varicose veins is unclear, it is necessary to check for other underlying diseases."

Previously, a public awareness survey conducted by the Korean Society for Phlebology in 2020 showed that 48% of patients with varicose veins complained of lower extremity edema. This suggests that diagnosing varicose veins is important for patients with lower extremity edema.

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