The industrialized world has witnessed a steady increase in diseases of the arteries, veins, and lymph vessels in recent years. The prevalence and incidence of arteriosclerotic vascular disease has taken on the character of an epidemic. Diseases of the superficial and deep veins are widespread. Everypracticing physician is confronted daily by arterial circulatory disorders of the supra-aortic vessels,the thoracic and abdominal aorta, and the pelvic and leg arteries as well as by venous and lymphatic diseases.Todayvascular disease isbest managed in an interdisciplinary way; interventional radiologists and neurologists should be part of the team at any established vascular center. Many older colleagues were forced to acquire their knowledge of vascular diseases on their own. There are still many medical schools and hospitals that lack vascular specialists who are capable of passing on their expertise to students. For manyyears there was no expertise in medical angiology in countries such as Great Britain or the United States. All of vascular medicine resided in the hands of vascular surgeons. It is only in the last few years that vascular internists have appeared in these countries as well.
