Malanin K, Kolari PJ, Havu VK.
The role of low resistance blood flow pathways in the pathogenesis and healing of
venous leg ulcers.
Acta Derm Venereol 1999 Mar;79(2):156-60

Department of Dermatology, University of Turku, Finland.

In an attempt to clarify the pathophysiology of haemodynamics in legs with venous
ulcer we investigated the effect of a single intermittent pneumatic compression
treatment on the peripheral resistance of leg arteries and the cutaneous laser
Doppler flux in the leg. Eight patients with venous leg ulcers and 10 subjects
with healthy legs were investigated. Doppler waveforms of the leg arteries and
laser Doppler flux of the leg skin were recorded before and after a single
intermittent pneumatic compression treatment with the subjects in a recumbent
position. In the legs with venous ulcer, the peripheral resistance of the
arteries was lower and the laser Doppler flux was greater, compared with healthy
legs (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively). A single intermittent pneumatic
compression treatment raised the peripheral resistance in the arteries of legs
with ulcer and laser Doppler flux of the skin more in ulcer legs than in healthy
legs (p = 0.046 and p = 0.034, respectively). These findings suggest that removal
of oedema causes redistribution of skin blood flow in the legs with venous ulcer
favouring the superficial capillary perfusion. This could explain why compression
treatment promotes the healing of venous leg ulcers.