[The importance of chronic venous insufficiency. Various preliminary data on its medico-social consequences].

The study is based on the data's of general practitioners of some Health Communities in Portugal in 1991. On 4,247 patients 1.5 p. cent consulted for venous disease, half of them with severe chronic venous insufficiency. The patients with ulcers needed an average of 32 dressings. Mean disability lasted 38.7 days and 12.5 of the patients took early retirement. The social cost of the disease is set out in this study. The author concludes that prophylactic measures should be taken at the working place.