Large veins on the top of the hand may appear similar to bulging varicose veins on the legs, but those on the hand are not truly diseased “varicose” veins. Hand veins are normal veins which simply appear prominent, like those on the top of the feet. They appear especially large when the hand is allowed to rest lower than the heart (down by your side). Either sclerotherapy (injections) or phlebectomy (surgical removal through small incisions) is used to treat unwanted hand veins.
Some physicians worry that elimination of these “dorsal” hand veins takes away an important source for taking blood samples or intravenous lines. However, hand veins make poor choices for these purposes and are not appropriate for emergency use. We do not treat prominent arm veins above the wrist to preserve venous access.
