Leg Ulcer

Leg Ulcer

Venous hypertension and varicosities may lead to VLUs (Venous Leg Ulcer). When blood in the leg veins isn’t getting properly pumped to the heart, it stagnates and pools in venous blood vessels. Eventually the engorged blood vessels leak, leading to dermatitis. For patients, that means itchiness, discoloration in the ankle-to-calf area, leg swelling, and often throbbing and achiness. The entire leg may be affected by dermatitis and can swell to the point of oozing fluids. Once fluids start to drain, skin breakdown occurs because the drainage itself is caustic to skin. Venous hypertension is a high pressure of blood within the veins, causing the vein to stretch and weaken. The vein walls eventually leak fluid and proteins. The protein fibrin, a normal part of the clotting process, starts to decrease the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the tissue and leads to tissue death and ulceration.