Raffetto JD
The Surgical clinics of North America. Date of publication 2018 Apr 1;volume 98(2):337-347.
1. Surg Clin North Am. 2018 Apr;98(2):337-347. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2017.11.002. Epub
2018 Jan 5.
Pathophysiology of Chronic Venous Disease and Venous Ulcers.
Raffetto JD(1).
Author information:
(1)Harvard Medical School, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brigham and Women's
Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; VA Boston HCS, Surg 112, 1400 VFW Parkway, West
Roxbury, MA 02132, USA. Electronic address: joseph.raffetto@med.va.gov.
Chronic venous disease and venous leg ulceration are a common disease affecting
millions of individuals. The fundamental problem is venous hypertension with
resultant clinical manifestations of venous disease including varicose veins,
skin changes, and venous leg ulceration. The pathophysiology leading to venous
hypertension is complex and multifactorial, involving genetic predisposition,
environmental factors, hormones, endothelial dysfunction, inflammatory cells and
molecules and activation on the endothelium and vein wall, and disturbances in
the balance of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. Understanding the
pathophysiology of chronic venous disease and venous leg ulcers identifies
cellular pathways, biomarkers, metabolic signatures, and cellular cross-talk for
targeted therapy.
Published by Elsevier Inc.
DOI: 10.1016/j.suc.2017.11.002
PMID: 29502775 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
