What triggers the developemt of venous stasis ulcers ?
An article by Raffetto JD and colleagues at Harvard Medical School summarized the reasons for the developemtn of venous stasis ulcers, also known as venous leg ulcers (VLU):
"Several demographic, genetic, and environmental factors could trigger chronic venous disease with venous dilation, incompetent valves, venous reflux, and venous hypertension. Endothelial cell injury and changes in the glycocalyx, venous shear-stress, and adhesion molecules could be initiating events in VLU. Increased endothelial cell permeability and leukocyte infiltration, and increases in inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, iron deposition, and tissue metabolites also contribute to the pathogenesis of VLU".
Raffetto JD, Ligi D, Maniscalco R, Khalil RA, Mannello F. Why Venous Leg Ulcers Have Difficulty Healing Overview of Pathophysiology, Clinical Consequences and Treatment. J Clin Med 2020: 10 10; E29.