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Venous leg ulceration

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Chronic venous leg ulceration is defined as an area of discontinuity of the epidermis, persisting for 4 weeks or more, caused by venous incompetence and associated venous hypertension (1)

  • it is the most common form of leg ulcer and accounts for 60 to 80% of lower limb ulceration. In the UK, prevalence is estimated to be between 0.1% and 0.3% and many people experience recurrent episodes of prolonged ulceration (1)
  • more common in women and older persons
  • the condition imposes a heavy burden on the healthcare finances

Venous ulcers may be:

  • primary - develop spontaneously as a result of venous hypertension
  • secondary - secondary to an identifiable underlying cause e.g. - venous thrombosis or trauma) (2)

Reference:

1. Norman G, Westby MJ, Rithalia AD, et al. Dressings and topical agents for treating venous leg ulcers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jun 15;6(6)

2. van Gent WB, Wilschut ED, Wittens C. Management of venous ulcer disease. BMJ. 2010;341:c6045.

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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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