Reviewed by Brian R. Robinson, MDVaricose ulcers are open wounds occurring below the knee that will not heal due to venous pump failure. Symptoms of varicose ulcers include a large, red, non-healing wound in a swollen leg. These ulcers most often affect older people with varicose veins.
When patients suffer from vascular insufficiency, a number of troubling symptoms and vulnerabilities may arise, including but not limited to blood clots, vein rupture, improper circulation, and dangerous blockages called emboli, which occur when a piece of a larger clot breaks off and becomes lodged in a smaller area of the circulatory system, blocking blood flow to the area.
Another risk of vascular insufficiency is varicose ulcers. These occur when insufficient blood flow or circulation prevents a cut, scrape, or other wound from healing as it should, and the skin dies off, creating a larger, circular wound with a weeping center and discoloration at its borders.
