[Update on current care guidelines: lower extremity venous insufficiency].

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is common (30-40 %) in the western adult population. Heredity, female gender, multiple childbirths and advancing age can be associated with CVI. The cornerstone of diagnosis is duplex ultrasound investigation, which is also mandatory in the planning of invasive treatment. Key indications for invasive treatment include legs with skin damage or ulceration. Conservative treatment is based on compression stockings. Invasive treatment modalities include open surgery, endovenous laser or radiofrequency ablation and foam sclerotherapy. Results of endovenous treatments are comparable with open surgery in mid-term follow-up studies, but there remains a need for studies comparing different treatment strategies.