Venous ulcers typically have which border and edema?

Venous ulcers typically have which border and edema?

• A. Irregular borders and edema
• B. Smooth borders and cool skin
• C. Intermittent claudication
• D. Brownish discoloration only

Answer: (A)

Venous ulcers come from chronic venous insufficiency, where prolonged venous hypertension in the legs leads to edema and skin changes. The edema stretches and friable skin, so the ulcer tends to expand irregularly rather than form a neat, clean edge, giving jagged or undermined borders. Surrounding skin often shows stasis changes, including brownish hemosiderin staining from leakage of blood components and lipodermatosclerosis from chronic inflammation. These features—edema plus irregular, ragged borders—are characteristic of venous ulcers. In contrast, arterial ulcers typically have smooth, well-defined or punched-out margins and are associated with a cool, diminished-pulse limb; intermittent claudication points to arterial insufficiency rather than the border pattern. Brown discoloration can occur with venous disease but without edema and irregular borders, it wouldn’t define the ulcer as venous.

Venous ulcers come from chronic venous insufficiency, where prolonged venous hypertension in the legs leads to edema and skin changes. The edema stretches and friable skin, so the ulcer tends to expand irregularly rather than form a neat, clean edge, giving jagged or undermined borders. Surrounding skin often shows stasis changes, including brownish hemosiderin staining from leakage of blood components and lipodermatosclerosis from chronic inflammation. These features—edema plus irregular, ragged borders—are characteristic of venous ulcers. In contrast, arterial ulcers typically have smooth, well-defined or punched-out margins and are associated with a cool, diminished-pulse limb; intermittent claudication points to arterial insufficiency rather than the border pattern. Brown discoloration can occur with venous disease but without edema and irregular borders, it wouldn’t define the ulcer as venous.