ABSTRACT
The field of chronic venous disorders (CVD) previously suffered from a lack of precision in
diagnosis. This deficiency led to conflicting reports in studies of the management of specific
venous problems at a time when new modalities were being offered to improve treatment for
simple, as well as more complicated, venous diseases. It was believed that these conflicts
could be resolved by a precise diagnosis and classification of the underlying venous
problem. The CEAP classification (1) (Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology) was
developed by an international consensus committee organized by the American Venous
Forum (AVF) in 1994 and adopted world-wide to facilitate meaningful communication
about CVD and to serve as a basis for a more scientific analysis of the management
alternatives. This classification, based on a correct diagnosis, was also expected to serve as a
systematic guide in the daily clinical investigation of patients as an orderly documentation
system and basis for decisions regarding the appropriate treatment. It is important to stress
that CEAP is a descriptive classification and not a severity scoring system. A venous
severity scoring system was also developed in 1994 with an improvement presented by an
AVF committee on outcomes in 2000 (2). Together with patient-derived functional
assessments (Quality of Life, QoL scores), the venous severity scoring system are
instruments for longitudinal research to assess outcomes.
