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Ulcer appearance, medical history, and physical exam should be used for differential diagnosis.
Characteristic |
Arterial Ulcer |
Venous Ulcer |
---|---|---|
Location |
Toes or foot |
Malleolus or metatarsal |
Appearance |
Irregular margin, cool cyanotic |
Typically sloped edges, may have exudate, irregular shape |
Foot Temperature |
Cold |
Warm |
Pain |
Usually severe |
Mild |
Sensation |
Variable, often decreased |
Present, variable (pain, temperature) |
Arterial Pulses |
Absent |
Present, variable (pain, temperature) |
Veins |
Collapsed |
Dilated, varicosities, edema |
Comprehensive venous duplex ultrasound examination of the lower extremity should be performed in all patients with a suspected venous leg ulcer.1
See GuidelinesNORMAL VEIN
Valves ensure blood flows
in one direction
DISEASED VEIN
Valves that cannot close allow blood to drain and pool
VenaSeal™
Closure System
ClosureFast™
Radiofrequency Ablation System
O’Donnell TF Jr, Passman MA, Marston WA, et al. Management of venous leg ulcers: Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Society for Vascular Surgery® and the American Venous Forum. J Vasc Surg. August 2014;60(2 Suppl):3S-59S.