Is determining which type of ulcer important?
Sickle cell ulcers are frequently—and mistakenly—attributed to venous reflux disease because the symptoms are similar to those of venous stasis ulcers. Both sickle cell ulcers and venous stasis ulcers occur near the ankle and show hyperpigmentation and, frequently, dermatitis. Misdiagnosis—and thus, mistreatment—of a sickle cell ulcer as a Venous Ulcer is extremely dangerous.
