Prevalence of activated protein c resistance due to factor v leiden mutation in egyptian patients with chronic nonthrombotic venous ulcer

Background Chronic venous leg ulcers are major health problems with great financial burden on patients and health resources. They are either post-thrombotic or not. Factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation is the most commonly diagnosed inherited thrombophilia. The present study compared the prevalence of activated protein C resistance (APCR) due to FVL mutation in patients with chronic nonthrombotic venous ulcer with an age-matched and sex-matched control group. Patients and methods Over a period of 6 years, 64 patients with chronic venous (nonthrombotic) leg ulcers were compared with 64 controls regarding APCR and FVL mutation. Results In total, 17 patients out of 64 tested positive for APCR (26.6%) [15 of them (23.4%) were due to FVL mutation (13 heterozygous and two homozygous)], whereas among controls only four tested positive for APCR (6.25%), all of them due to FVL mutation (all were heterozygous). Conclusion Patients with chronic nonthrombotic venous ulcers had statistically significant prevalence of FVL mutation compared with age-matched and sex-matched controls. Our results (although with some limitations) showed that a special cohort of primary varicose veins with this thrombophilic abnormality needs further investigation to accurately elicit its possible role in their disease progression into venous ulcers.