When assessing a client with varicose veins, what specific visual change might the nurse expect to see?

In assessing a client with varicose veins, the expected visual change is the presence of tortuous veins in the legs. Varicose veins result from the weakening of the vein walls and valve insufficiency, leading to veins that become engorged and twisted. This characteristic distortion makes them visibly bulged and often prominent beneath the surface of the skin.

The tortuous appearance is a direct consequence of these veins being unable to effectively return blood to the heart, leading to increased pressure and the resultant expansion and twisting of the veins. Other options like smooth and shiny skin or flat and non-distended veins would not typically present in a case of varicose veins. Variegated pigmentation may suggest other conditions, such as chronic venous insufficiency, but is not a defining characteristic of varicose veins themselves. Therefore, the presence of tortuous veins is the most relevant and definitive visual change noted during the assessment of a client with varicose veins.