Genetic delineation of venous leg ulcer and clinical implication

The recognition that functional gene variants, mainly single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly involved in venous ulcer establishment and in wound healing, have an extraordinary role in the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of chronic wounds. • Single nucleotide polymorphisms in hemochromatosis and coagulation factor XIII genes can be used as molecular markers or prognostic tools. This allows the development of strategies to predict patients at increased risk of developing severe complications of chronic venous disorders and to predict healing time after superficial venous surgery. • Clinical practice could be strongly influenced by the results of an hemochromatosis genetic screening test. A positive test would strengthen the indications and priorities for surgical correction of superficial venous insufficiency. Primary varicose veins could be treated more appropriately before any lesions develop in patients with a genetic haplotype associated with an increased risk of lesion development.