Perforating veins are blood vessels in the legs that connect the
superficial leg veins just under the skin to the deep leg veins under the
muscles. Perforating veins are sometimes called communicating veins.
Damage or disease in the perforating vein system can lead to
varicose veins, which are twisted, enlarged veins that can occur anywhere a
vein is close to skin, but which occur most often in the legs.