Table 6.

Features of venous and arterial ulcers

	Venous	Arterial
History	History of varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, venous insufficiency or venous incompetence	History suggestive of peripheral arterial disease, intermittent claudication, and/or rest pain
Classic site	Over the medial gaiter region of the leg	Usually over the toes, foot, and ankle
Edges	Sloping	Punched out
Wound bed	Often covered with slough	Often covered with varying degrees of slough and necrotic tissue
Exudate level	Usually high	Usually low
Pain	Pain not severe unless associated with excessive oedema or infection	Pain, even without infection
Oedema	Usually associated with limb oedema	Oedema not common
Associated features	Venous eczema, lipodermatosclerosis, atrophie blanche, haemosiderosis	Trophic changes; gangrene may be present
Treatment	Compression is mainstay	Appropriate surgery for arterial insufficiency; drugs of limited value