Venous leg ulcers.

In 1837, Piorry, a French professor of medicine stated, "It is rather difficult to understand why the investigation of veins has been passed over almost in silence, while such a great diagnostic value has been attached to the investigation of arteries." Even today, our understanding of venous disease pales in comparison to our understanding of arterial disease. This is despite the fact that millions of Americans are afflicted with chronic venous insufficiency and hundreds of thousands suffer from debilitating lower extremity venous ulcers. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of venous disease is necessary to provide appropriate and efficient medical care for patients suffering from lower extremity venous ulcerations.