I do not want a spider vein on my leg to be misdiagnosed as a varicose vein needing ablation. are spiders often confusing to diagnose visually?

Different animals.: I love teaching my kids while hiking. At one point my youngest told me "it's just a bird". Despite my explanation otherwise they were all the same to him. You should find someone who treats veins; someone who likes to treat veins. Someone who knows the different types. "spider veins" is a generic term that can encompass a large variety of vein types. These are very different from varicose veins.

Very different.: Spider veins and varicose veins are very different and very easy to distinguish and diagnose. Spider veins get their name because they look like spider legs whereas varicose veins are large, protruding and grape-like in appearance. Any vein specialist or vascular surgeon will easily distinguish them.