Thrombosis after sclerotherapy and poorly applied bandaging for venous leg ulcers: case reports

Side-effects occurring in patients treated by multilayer bandaging may be neurological, dermatological or arterial. We report on two cases of venous thrombosis involving outpatients treated for venous leg ulcers (VLU). In the first case, a lack of understanding of multilayer bandages and training on their use by the nursing staff was likely the cause of a superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) in a great saphenous vein tributary. The second case occurred in a patient suffering from an ulcer complicated by oedema. Insufficient education of the patient in alert symptoms for his condition and an inappropriate medical follow-up were the direct causes of a non-severe distal vein thrombosis. We conclude that, as it has been suggested over a number of years, patients being treated with bandage therapy must be rigorously and carefully monitored.