Findings of tenderness, induration, pain and/or erythema along the course of a superficial vein usually establish a clinical diagnosis, especially in patients with known risk factors. In addition, there is often a palpable, sometimes nodular cord, due to thrombus within the affected vein. Persistence of this cord when the extremity is raised suggests the presence of thrombus.

Superficial thrombophlebitis is a thrombosis and inflammation of superficial veins which presents as a painful induration with erythema, often in a linear or branching configuration forming cords.

Superficial thrombophlebitis is due to inflammation and/or thrombosis, and less commonly infection of the vein. It is generally a benign, self-limited disorder, however, it can be complicated by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and even pulmonary embolism (PE). Migratory superficial thrombophlebitis is known as Trousseau's syndrome.

The following symptoms or signs are often associated with thrombophlebitis, although thrombophlebitis is not restricted to the veins of the legs.

In terms of complications, one of the most serious occurs when the superficial blood clot is associated with a deeper venous thrombosis; this can then dislodge, traveling through the heart and occluding the dense capillary network of the lungs This is a pulmonary embolism which can be life-threatening to the affected individual.

Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is a type of venous thrombosis, or a blood clot in a vein, which forms in a superficial vein near the surface of the body. Usually there is thrombophlebitis, which is an inflammatory reaction around a thrombosed vein, presenting as a painful induration with erythema. SVT has a limited clinical significance (in terms of morbidity and mortality) when compared to a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which occurs deeper in the body, at the deep venous system level. If the blood clot is too near from the sapheno-femoral junction there is a bigger risk of pulmonary embolism.

Phlebitis or venitis is the inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis and is then called thrombophlebitis or superficial thrombophlebitis. Unlike deep vein thrombosis, the probability that superficial thrombophlebitis will cause a clot to break up and be transported in pieces to the lung is very low.

Most varicose veins are reasonably benign, but severe varicosities can lead to major complications, due to the poor circulation through the affected limb.

- Pain, tenderness, heaviness, inability to walk or stand for long hours, thus hindering work

- Skin conditions / dermatitis which could predispose skin loss

- Skin ulcers especially near the ankle, usually referred to as venous ulcers.

- Development of carcinoma or sarcoma in longstanding venous ulcers. Over 100 reported cases of malignant transformation have been reported at a rate reported as 0.4% to 1%.

- Severe bleeding from minor trauma, of particular concern in the elderly.

- Blood clotting within affected veins, termed superficial thrombophlebitis. These are frequently isolated to the superficial veins, but can extend into deep veins, becoming a more serious problem.

- Acute fat necrosis can occur, especially at the ankle of overweight people with varicose veins. Females are more frequently affected than males.

Phlebitis is typically caused by local trauma to a vein, usually from the insertion of an intravenous catheter. However, it can also occur due to a complication of connective tissue disorders such as lupus, or of pancreatic, breast, or ovarian cancers. Phlebitis can also result from certain medications and drugs that irritate the veins, such as desomorphine.

Superficial phlebitis often presents as an early sign in thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease), a vasculitis that affects small and medium-sized arteries and veins in distal extremities often associated with cigarette smoking.

Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and twisted. The term commonly refers to the veins on the leg, although varicose veins can occur elsewhere. Veins have pairs of leaflet valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards (retrograde flow or venous reflux). Leg muscles pump the veins to return blood to the heart (the skeletal-muscle pump), against the effects of gravity. When veins become varicose, the leaflets of the valves no longer meet properly, and the valves do not work (valvular incompetence). This allows blood to flow backwards and they enlarge even more. Varicose veins are most common in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing. Besides being a cosmetic problem, varicose veins can be painful, especially when standing. Severe long-standing varicose veins can lead to leg swelling, venous eczema, skin thickening (lipodermatosclerosis) and ulceration. Although life-threatening complications are uncommon, varicose veins may be confused with deep vein thrombosis, which may be life-threatening.

Non-surgical treatments include sclerotherapy, elastic stockings, leg elevation and exercise. The traditional surgical treatment has been vein stripping to remove the affected veins. Newer, less invasive treatments which seal the main leaking vein are available. Alternative techniques, such as ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation and endovenous laser treatment, are available as well. Because most of the blood in the legs is returned by the deep veins, the superficial veins, which return only about 10% of the total blood of the legs, can usually be removed or ablated without serious harm.

Secondary varicose veins are those developing as collateral pathways, typically after stenosis or occlusion of the deep veins, a common sequel of extensive deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Treatment options are usually support stockings, occasionally sclerotherapy and rarely, limited surgery.

Varicose veins are distinguished from reticular veins (blue veins) and telangiectasias (spider veins), which also involve valvular insufficiency, by the size and location of the veins. Many patients who suffer with varicose veins seek out the assistance of physicians who specialize in vein care or peripheral vascular disease. These physicians include vascular surgeons, phlebologists or interventional radiologists.

A venous thrombus is a blood clot (thrombus) that forms within a vein. "Thrombosis" is a term for a blood clot occurring inside a blood vessel. A common type of venous thrombosis is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg. If the thrombus breaks off (embolizes) and flows towards the lungs, it can become a pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot in the lungs.

An inflammatory reaction is usually present, mainly in the superficial veins and, for this reason this pathology is called most of the time thrombophlebitis. The inflammatory reaction and the white blood cells play a role in the resolution of venous clots.

The initial treatment for venous thromboembolism is typically with either low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or unfractionated heparin. LMWH appears to have lower rates of side effects; however, both result in similar rates of survival.

Superficial venous thromboses cause discomfort but generally not serious consequences, as do the deep venous thromboses (DVTs) that form in the deep veins of the legs or in the pelvic veins. Nevertheless, they can progress to the deep veins through the perforator veins or, they can be responsible for a lung embolism mainly if the head of the clot is poorly attached to the vein wall and is situated near the sapheno-femoral junction.

When a blood clot breaks loose and travels in the blood, this is called a venous thromboembolism (VTE). The abbreviation DVT/PE refers to a VTE where a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has moved to the lungs (PE or pulmonary embolism).

Since the veins return blood to the heart, if a piece of a blood clot formed in a vein breaks off it can be transported to the right side of the heart, and from there into the lungs. A piece of thrombus that is transported in this way is an "embolus": the process of forming a thrombus that becomes embolic is called a "thromboembolism". An embolism that lodges in the lungs is a "pulmonary embolism" (PE). A pulmonary embolism is a very serious condition that can be fatal depending on the dimensions of the embolus. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) refers to both DVTs and PEs.

Systemic embolisms of venous origin can occur in patients with an atrial or ventricular septal defect, through which an embolus may pass into the arterial system. Such an event is termed a paradoxical embolism.

The Trousseau sign of malignancy or Trousseau's syndrome is a medical sign involving episodes of vessel inflammation due to blood clot (thrombophlebitis) which are recurrent or appearing in different locations over time (thrombophlebitis migrans or migratory thrombophlebitis). The location of the clot is tender and the clot can be felt as a nodule under the skin. Trousseau's syndrome is a rare variant of venous thromboembolism (VTE) that is characterized by recurrent, migratory thrombosis in superficial veins and in uncommon sites, such as the chest wall and arms. This syndrome is particularly associated with pancreatic, gastric and lung cancer and Trousseau's syndrome can be an early sign of cancer

, sometimes appearing months to years before the tumor would be otherwise detected. Heparin therapy is recommended to prevent future clots. The Trousseau sign of malignancy should not be confused with the Trousseau sign of latent tetany caused by hypocalcemia.

Some malignancies, especially gliomas (25%), as well as adenocarcinomas of the pancreas and lung, are associated with hypercoagulability (the tendency to form blood clots) for reasons that are incompletely understood, but may be related to factors secreted by the tumors, in particular a circulating pool of cell-derived tissue factor-containing microvesicles. Some adenocarcinomas secrete mucin that can interact with selectin found on platelets, thereby causing small clots to form.

In patients with malignancy-associated hypercoagulable states, the blood may spontaneously form clots in the portal vessels, the deep veins of the extremities (such as the leg), or the superficial veins anywhere on the body. These clots present as visibly swollen blood vessels (thrombophlebitis), especially the veins, or as intermittent pain in the affected areas.

Signs and symptoms of CVI in the leg include the following:

- Varicose veins

- Itching (pruritus)

- Hyperpigmentation

- Phlebetic lymphedema

- Chronic swelling of the legs and ankles

- Venous ulceration

CVI in the leg may cause the following:

- Venous stasis

- Ulcers.

- Stasis dermatitis, also known as varicose eczema

- Contact dermatitis. Patients with venous insufficiency have a disrupted epidermal barrier, making them more susceptible than the general population to contact sensitization and subsequent dermatitis.

- Atrophie blanche. This is an end point of a variety of conditions, appears as atrophic plaques of ivory white skin with telangiectasias. It represents late sequelae of lipodermatosclerosis where the skin has lost its nutrient blood flow.

- Lipodermatosclerosis. This is an indurated plaque in the medial malleolus.

- Malignancy. Malignant degeneration is a rare but important complication of venous disease since tumors which develop in the setting of an ulcer tend to be more aggressive.

- Pain. Pain is a feature of venous disease often overlooked and commonly undertreated.

- Anxiety.

- Depression.

- Inflammation

- Discoloration

- Skin thickening

- Cellulitis

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a medical condition in which blood pools in the veins, straining the walls of the vein. The most common cause of CVI is superficial venous reflux which is a treatable condition. As functional venous valves are required to provide for efficient blood return from the lower extremities, this condition typically affects the legs. If the impaired vein function causes significant symptoms, such as swelling and ulcer formation, it is referred to as chronic venous disease. It is sometimes called "chronic peripheral venous insufficiency" and should not be confused with post-thrombotic syndrome in which the deep veins have been damaged by previous deep vein thrombosis.

Most cases of CVI can be improved with treatments to the superficial venous system or stenting the deep system. Varicose veins for example can now be treated by local anesthetic endovenous surgery.

The prevalence of CVI is far higher in women than in men. The Tampere study, which examined the epidemiology of varicose veins in a large cohort of 3284 men and 3590 women, demonstrated that the prevalence of varicose veins in men and women was 18% and 42%, respectively. The condition has been known since ancient times and Hippocrates used bandaging to treat it.

Pylephlebitis (also called pyelophlebitis and infective suppurative thrombosis of the portal vein) is an uncommon thrombophlebitis of the portal vein or any of its branches (i.e. a portal vein thrombosis) that is caused by infection. It is usually a complication of intraabdominal sepsis, most often following diverticulitis, perforated appendicitis, or peritonitis. Considered uniformly lethal in the pre-antibiotic era, it still carries a mortality of 10-30%.

It typically presents with fever, rigors, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain, but sometimes abdominal pain may be absent. Liver function test abnormalities are usually present but frank jaundice is uncommon. In the modern era, it is usually diagnosed by CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis. Bacteriology is often polymicrobial and blood cultures are positive in some cases. A significant fraction of people presenting with this condition have an underlying hypercoagulable state.

Treatment is with a prolonged course of broad-spectrum antibiotics, with the addition of anticoagulants if other clots are present outside the portal vein or if fever persists on antibiotic therapy.

It is a cause of portal hypertension and can cause bowel ischemia sometimes leading to bowel infarction.

Phlegmasia alba dolens (also colloquially known as milk leg or white leg) is part of a spectrum of diseases related to deep vein thrombosis. Historically, it was commonly seen during pregnancy and in mothers who have just given birth. In cases of pregnancy, it is most often seen during the third trimester, resulting from a compression of the left common iliac vein against the pelvic rim by the enlarged uterus. Today, this disease is most commonly (40% of the time) related to some form of underlying malignancy. Hypercoagulability (a propensity to clot formation) is a well-known state that occurs in many cancer states. The incidence of this disease is not well reported.

The disease presumably begins with a deep vein thrombosis that progresses to total occlusion of the deep venous system. It is at this stage that it is called phlegmasia alba dolens. It is a sudden (acute) process. The leg, then, must rely on the superficial venous system for drainage. The superficial system is not adequate to handle the large volume of blood being delivered to the leg via the arterial system. The result is edema, pain and a white appearance ("alba") of the leg.

The next step in the disease progression is occlusion of the superficial venous system, thereby preventing all venous outflow from the extremity. At this stage it is called phlegmasia cerulea dolens. The leg becomes more swollen and increasingly more painful. Additionally, the edema and loss of venous outflow impedes the arterial inflow. Ischemia with progression to gangrene are potential consequences. Phlegmasia alba dolens is distinguished, clinically, from phlegmasia cerulea dolens in that there is no ischemia.

Mondor's disease (also known as "Mondor's syndrome of superficial thrombophlebitis") is a rare condition which involves thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the breast and anterior chest wall. It sometimes occurs in the arm or penis. In axilla, this condition is known as axillary web syndrome.

Patients with this disease often have abrupt onset of superficial pain, with possible swelling and redness of a limited area of their anterior chest wall or breast. There is usually a lump present, which may be somewhat linear and tender. Because of the possibility of the lump being from another cause, patients are often referred for mammogram and/or breast ultrasound.

Mondor's disease is self-limiting and generally benign. A cause is often not identified, but when found includes trauma, surgery, or inflammation such as infection. There have been occasional cases of associated cancer. Management is with warm compresses and pain relievers, most commonly NSAIDS such as ibuprofen. When thrombophlebitis affects the greater veins, it can progress into the deep venous system, and may lead to pulmonary embolism.

It is named after Henri Mondor (1885-1962), a surgeon in Paris, France who first described the disease in 1939.

Cullen's sign is superficial edema and bruising in the subcutaneous fatty tissue around the umbilicus.

It is named for gynecologist Thomas Stephen Cullen (1869–1953), who first described the sign in ruptured ectopic pregnancy in 1916.

This sign takes 24–48 hours to appear and can predict acute pancreatitis, with mortality rising from 8–10% to 40%. It may be accompanied by Grey Turner's sign (bruising of the flank), which may then be indicative of pancreatic necrosis with retroperitoneal or intraabdominal bleeding.

Causes include:

- acute pancreatitis, where methemalbumin formed from digested blood tracks around the abdomen from the inflamed pancreas

- bleeding from blunt abdominal trauma

- bleeding from aortic rupture

- bleeding from ruptured ectopic pregnancy

Importance of the sign is on a decline since better diagnostic modalities are now available.

The signs and symptoms of Lemierre's syndrome vary, but usually start with a sore throat, fever, and general body weakness. These are followed by extreme lethargy, spiked fevers, rigors, swollen cervical lymph nodes, and a swollen, tender or painful neck. Often there is abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting during this phase. These signs and symptoms usually occur several days to 2 weeks after the initial symptoms.

Symptoms of pulmonary involvement can be shortness of breath, cough and painful breathing (pleuritic chest pain). Rarely, blood is coughed up. Painful or inflamed joints can occur when the joints are involved.

Septic shock can also arise. This presents with low blood pressure, increased heart rate, decreased urine output and an increased rate of breathing. Some cases will also present with meningitis, which will typically manifest as neck stiffness, headache and sensitivity of the eyes to light.

Liver enlargement and spleen enlargement can be found, but are not always associated with liver or spleen abscesses.

Other signs and symptoms that may occur:

- Headache (unrelated to meningitis)

- Memory loss

- Muscle pain

- Jaundice

- Decreased ability to open the jaw

- Crepitations are sometimes heard over the lungs

- Pericardial friction rubs as a sign of pericarditis (rare)

- Cranial nerve paralysis and Horner's syndrome (both rare)

The diagnosis is generally a clinical one, with a fluctuant boggy mass developing over the scalp (especially over the occiput) with superficial skin bruising. The swelling develops gradually 12–72 hours after delivery, although it may be noted immediately after delivery in severe cases. The hematoma spreads across the whole calvaria as its growth is insidious and may not be recognized for hours. If enough blood accumulates a visible fluid wave may be seen. Patients can develop raccoon eyes.

Patients with subgaleal hematoma may present with hemorrhagic shock. The swelling may obscure the fontanel and cross suture lines (distinguishing it from cephalohematoma). Watch for significant hyperbilirubinemia. The long-term prognosis is generally good. Laboratory studies consist of a hematocrit evaluation.

Lymphangitis is an inflammation or an infection of the lymphatic channels that occurs as a result of infection at a site distal to the channel. The most common cause of lymphangitis in humans is "Streptococcus pyogenes" (Group A strep), although it can also be caused by the fungus "Sporothrix schenckii". Lymphangitis is sometimes mistakenly called "blood poisoning". In reality, "blood poisoning" is synonymous with "sepsis".

Signs and symptoms include a deep reddening of the skin, warmth, lymphadenitis (inflammation of a lymphatic gland), and a raised border around the affected area. The person may also have chills and a high fever along with moderate pain and swelling. A person with lymphangitis should be hospitalized and closely monitored by medical professionals.

Lymphangitis is the inflammation of the lymphatic vessels and channels. This is characterized by certain inflammatory conditions of the skin caused by bacterial infections. Thin red lines may be observed running along the course of the lymphatic vessels in the affected area, accompanied by painful enlargement of the nearby lymph nodes.

When the inferior limbs are affected, the redness of the skin runs over the great saphenous vein location and confusion can be made with a thrombophlebitis.

Chronic lymphangitis is a cutaneous condition that is the result of recurrent bouts of acute bacterial lymphangitis.

Subgaleal hemorrhage or hematoma is bleeding in the potential space between the skull periosteum and the scalp galea aponeurosis.