Fatal bleeding caused by a ruptured varicose vein

Abstract

Chronic venous insufficiency is generally not lethal, but massive bleeding from ruptured varicose veins can be fatal. A 79-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Rome. Pools of blood and contact pattern bloodstains were observed around the body. She lived alone and suffered from vascular dementia. On the medial aspect of the right leg, a circular ulcer communicating with the lumen of a varicose vein was noted. Death was attributed to hypovolemic shock caused by bleeding from the rupture of the varicose vein. Our case confirms that varicose veins rupture is a potentially fatal medical emergency. Conditions such as dementia may lead to failure to understand the gravity of the bleeding and to seek help. Recognition of this issue is important especially when the care of people suffering from mental illness is involved.

Fatal hemorrhage from peripheral varicose vein rupture

“…10 Yet the lack of awareness of the danger, the neglect, and/or the cognitive impairment may lead them to overlook a minor, continuous, and painless venous bleeding 11 that, conversely, could prove to be unstoppable and, therefore, lethal. 19 In the presented case, the 91-year-old lady lived alone. She had visible superficial peripheral varices and showed skin changes from chronic venous stasis.…”

“…The search performed on PubMed NCBI reports only 13 cases of pathological-forensic relevance. [1][2][3][4]6,8,[11][12][13][14]19,20 Many patients diagnosed with varicosities of non-severe degree underestimate the threaten of this entity.…”