Revision of the CEAP classification for chronic venous disorders: a consensus statement

Abstract

The CEAP classification for chronic venous disorders (CVD) was developed in 1994 by an international ad hoc committee of the American Venous Forum (AVF), endorsed by the Society for Vascular Surgery and incorporated into "Reporting standards in venous disease" in 1995. Today most published clinical papers on CVD use all or portions of CEAP. Rather than have it stand as a static classification system, an ad hoc committee of the AVF, working with an international liaison committee, has recommended a number of practical changes which are detailed in this consensus report. These include: refinements of several definitions used in describing CVD; refinement of the C-classes of CEAP; addition of the descriptor n (no venous abnormality identified); elaboration of the date of classification and level of investigation, and as a simpler alternative to the full (advanced) CEAP classification, introduction of a "basic" CEAP version. It is important to stress that CEAP is a descriptive classification, while venous severity scoring and quality of life scores are instruments for longitudinal research to assess outcomes.

Do Blood Constituents in Varicose Veins Differ From the Systemic Blood Constituents?

“…The clinical, etiological, anatomical, and pathological elements classification system (CEAP) was used to classify chronic lower extremity venous disease (CVD). 9 Most were class C2 (31 patients, 78%), and the others (9 patients, 22%) were class C3. The exclusion criteria for the study were a history of deep vein thrombosis, postthrombotic syndrome, reflux in the deep venous system, active skin ulcers or local skin inflammatory changes, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, May-Turner syndrome, recent infection, neoplastic disease, and chronic systemic inflammatory disease.…”

In prospective study using Specific Quality of Life & Outcomes Response-Venous (SQOR-V) questionnaire the recall bias had the same magnitude as the minimally important difference

“…Only patients with confirmed primary etiology of chronic venous disease with C2-C4 clinical classes [14] were included ( Table 1). As a part of their initial documentation prior to their first visit, all patients received by mail the disease-specific quality of life assessment tool (SQOR-V).…”

Peripheral veins

“…There is a hierarchy of symptoms which is incorporated into a classification system known as the Clinical-Etiology-AnatomyPathophysiology (CEAP) classification. 74 The lowest score, C 0 , describes no visible or palpable signs of disease followed by telangiectasia and reticular veins, varicose veins, oedema, skin pigmentation and eczema, lipodermatosclerosis, healed ulcer and finally C 6 active ulceration (Table 64.5).…”