Venous embryology: the key to understanding anomalous venous conditions
Byung-Boong LEE Professor of Surgery and Director, Center for Lymphedema and Vascular Malformations, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA ABSTRACT Venous embryology can explain many of the defects resulting in venous anomalies in later life, yet is often overlooked. Venous malformations are vascular malformations that only affect the venous system. They are classified into two different types depending on the embryological stage when the defective development occurs. Venous malformations originating during the early stage of embryogenesis are termed extratruncular, while those originating during the late stage of embryogenesis are classified as truncular. A defect at any point…
