Bleeding from varicose vein--still potentially fatal. A case report

A 57-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with spontaneous profuse haemorrhage from a small acute varicose ulcer of the left leg. She was in shock, semicomatose and anaemic because of blood loss. The haemorrhage was easily controlled by elevating the leg, applying compression bandages and administering a blood transfusion. The patient made an uneventful recovery.