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Venous ulcer
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Venous ulcer is defined by the American Venous Forum as "a full-thickness defect of skin, most frequently in the ankle region, that fails to heal spontaneously and is sustained by chronic venous disease, based on venous duplex ultrasound testing."[1] Venous ulcers are wounds that are thought to occur due to improper functioning of venous valves, usually of the legs (hence leg ulcers).[2]:ā846ā They are an important cause of chronic wounds, affecting 1% of the population.[3] Venous ulcers develop mostly along the medial distal leg, and can be painful with negative effects on quality of life.[4]
Venous ulcer | |
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Other names | Venous insufficiency ulceration, stasis ulcer, stasis dermatitis, varicose ulcer, ulcus cruris, crural ulceration |
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Venous ulcer on the back of the right leg | |
Specialty | Dermatology ![]() |
Exercise, together with compression stockings, increases healing.[5] The NICE guideline recommends that everyone with a venous leg ulcer, even if healed, should be referred to a vascular specialist for venous duplex ultrasound and assessment for endovenous surgery.[6]