What is the disease of black calves

The blackening of the calves will definitely make people very nervous. The most concerning thing is what disease the black calves are caused by. In fact, this situation is most likely caused by varicose veins. When the disease first occurs, the skin will turn dark, which may be mistaken for subcutaneous congestion or skin disease. We can first understand the situation of varicose veins, and then judge based on our own characteristics to see whether it is caused by varicose veins.

Varicose veins in the lower legs

Clinical manifestations: Patients with primary varicose veins usually have no local symptoms in the early stages, but the following clinical manifestations may appear as the symptoms gradually develop. 1. The affected limb often feels sore, heavy, swollen, painful, easily fatigued and weak. 2. The superficial veins of the affected limb are bulging, dilated, tortuous, and even tortuous or lumpy, which is more obvious when standing. 3. Swelling: Mild edema may occur in the ankles and dorsum of the feet. In severe cases, mild edema may also occur in the lower calf.

4. Complications: (1) Nutritional changes in the skin: thinning of the skin, desquamation, itching, pigmentation, eczematous dermatitis and ulcer formation. (2) Superficial Thrombophlebitis: Pain in varicose veins, red, swollen, hard nodules and cord-like structures, and tenderness. (3) Bleeding: Acute bleeding caused by trauma or spontaneous rupture of varicose veins or venules. (4) Secondary infection: As the patient’s resistance is weakened, secondary infection is more likely to occur. Common ones include thrombophlebitis, erysipelas, acute cellulitis, elephantiasis, etc.

5. Lower limb venous function test: (1) Deep vein patency test (Penhes test): used to measure the deep venous return. The deep veins of patients with varicose veins in the lower legs are often patent. The method is to use a tourniquet to block the great saphenous vein in the thigh, and ask the patient to kick or squat continuously. Due to the movement of the lower limbs and muscle contraction, the blood in the superficial veins flows back through the deep veins, causing the varicose veins to collapse and become empty. If the deep veins are blocked or there is backflow, which increases the venous pressure, the pressure in the varicose veins will not be reduced, and the varicose veins may even become more obvious.

(2) Great saphenous vein valve function test (Trendelenburg test): used to measure the function of the great saphenous vein valve. The great saphenous vein valve function is lost in patients with simple varicose veins of the lower legs. The method is that the patient lies flat on his back with his lower limbs raised, the blood in the superficial veins is drained, and a tourniquet is tied at the base of the thigh below the oval fossa. Then let the patient stand, untie the tourniquet within 10 seconds, and the blood column in the great saphenous vein will fill immediately from top to bottom, indicating great saphenous vein valve insufficiency. The lesion is most likely located at the level of the oval fossa, and deep venous blood is discharged into the superficial venous system through the saphenofemoral vein junction. If the superficial veins fill slowly (over 30 seconds) and gradually, it is normal because blood flows back from the capillaries into the veins. If the tourniquet is not removed after the patient stands up and the superficial vein below the tourniquet fills up rapidly, it means that the blood flowing back into the vein comes from the small saphenous vein or some incomplete communicating vein. (3) Pratt test: The patient lies flat on his back with the affected limb raised. A tourniquet is applied at the base of the thigh. The first elastic bandage is tied from the toes upward to the popliteal fossa, and then the second elastic bandage is tied downward from the tourniquet. While untying the first elastic bandage, the second elastic bandage is continued downward. If varicose veins appear in the gap between the two elastic bandages, it means that there is a dysfunctional communicating vein at that location.

<<: What to do if hand, foot and mouth disease does not cause fever

>>: Blood disease fever