title: Elevated Levels of Coagulation Factor VIII in Patients With Venous Leg Ulcers.
abstract: Chronic venous disease affects millions of people around the world. Venous valvular incompetencies and venous reflux, often a result of outflow obstruction are important contributors to venous disease. The prevalence of thrombophilia is increased in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The recognition of underlying thrombophilia particularly in young patients opens new avenues in the management and prevention plan. We emphasize on the consideration of workup for coagulopathy, especially factor VIII deficiency in young patients with venous disease. We report 3 patients with chronic leg ulcers and high levels of FVIII:C activity in plasma and other associated thrombophilic factors. We highlight the need to get a workup done for thrombophilia in young patients with recurrent and chronic leg ulcers related to venous insufficiency or livedoid vasculopathy. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to define the definite indications for the thrombophilia workups.
authors.affiliation: University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Ricardo
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Criado
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, ON, Canada afsaneh.alavi@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirsner
keywords: coagulopathy; factor VIII; venous leg ulcer