Prolonged venous hypertension results in venous dilatation and passage of red blood cells through the endothelium into the interstitium with subsequent breakdown and conversion of hemoglobin to hemosiderin. Iron oxide remains as a brown pigment stain on the skin typically located on the lower medial third of the lower leg. The fact is that hemosiderin can be deposited anywhere there is significant venous hypertension. This is a photo of the left hand and arm of a man who developed a subclavian vein thrombosis with subsequent venous insufficiency of the left arm and a stasis ulcer of the fingers. It’s a good reminder that the issue is the venous hypertension—it’s not unique to the leg.
Caroline Fife, MD
I’ve got a NEW Facebook Page – be sure to follow me there too!
Twitter/CarolineFifeMD | Facebook/CarolineFifeMD | LinkedIn/CarolineFifeMD
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
The opinions, comments, and content expressed or implied in my statements are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of Intellicure or any of the boards on which I serve.
