Double Trouble: A Case of an Evolving Leg Ulcer in the Setting of Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure can result in low perfusion to the body's periphery and fluid pooling in the lower extremities. Investigators have suggested that this combination of factors can cause venous leg ulcers to deteriorate, although reports of this association are limited in the literature. We present a case of a lower extremity venous ulcer, which worsened concomitantly with an acute exacerbation of chronic congestive heart failure, eventually requiring surgical debridement. This case report serves to investigate the assertion that comorbid heart failure, especially during acute exacerbation, may worsen wound healing in lower extremity venous ulcers.