Chronic venous disease of the lower limbs is manifested by a range of signs, the most obvious of which are varicose veins and venous ulcers. However, the signs also include edema, venous eczema, hyperpigmentation of skin of the ankle, atrophie blanche (white scar tissue), and lipodermatosclerosis (induration caused by fibrosis of the subcutaneous fat) (Fig. 1). Considerable progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms that underlie these diverse manifestations, in particular the role of inflammation. This article reviews these advances and places them in a clinical context
