Abstract

Chronic venous disease is a common disorder that shows a large spectrum of signs. In cases in which the disease acquires severity it is named chronic venous insufficiency, and it can cause the development of a venous ulcer.

Direct trauma to or erosion of a varicose vein can lead to a hemorrhage that, in combination with coexistent conditions, toxicologic or social factors, or inadequate first aid can produce death in few minutes and a crime scene which might be confusing at first sight to the forensics team.

We present a case handled by the Forensic Pathology Section of the Department of Legal Medicine of the Judicial Power of Costa Rica in which a complete autopsy was performed. Among the most relevant macroscopic findings was evidence of a chronic ulcer with venous characteristics on the right leg, in which dissection by planes and dye injection into the great saphenous vein showed leakage of this dye out of a varicose vein related to the ulcer.

Key words: Chronic venous disease; chronic venous insufficiency; varicose ulcer; chronic venous ulcer complications; venous hemorrhage; sudden death