Chronic venous insufficiency of the lower limbs and its socio-economic significance.

The author, based on data furnished by the Brazilian Ministry of Social Welfare in the year 1983, draws attention to the socio-economic repercussion of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) of the lower limbs on the contributors to social security in the country. The available statistical data have been restricted to small population groups. A comprehensive study is made for the first time, which includes twenty-five million workers. Despite the high incidence of the disease, the numbers do not reflect entirely Brazilian reality, since social security in Brazil, in the specific case of diseases, grants benefit only to the contributor, and not to his dependents. Nevertheless, CVI ranks in the 14th place among the 50 principal diseases that cause absence from work which consequently give the right to receive the benefit from Brazilian Social Security.