• The brown pigmentation of the skin associated with venous ulceration is caused by increased local iron deposition. Diagnostic x-ray spectrometry, a method based on x-ray fluorescence analysis, was used for the noninvasive determination of iron levels in the skin of patients with venous ulceration. The mean (±SEM) iron concentration in the skin around the venous ulcer was elevated, compared with control values of nonulcerated skin (250 ± 54 vs 128 ± 39 μg) and compared with normal skin from the forearm (250 ± 54 vs 14 ± 2.5 μg). These data suggest that dermal iron deposition may not be an incidental by-product of increased venous pressure, but may actively perpetuate tissue damage in venous ulcerations.
(Arch Dermatol 1988;124:1376-1378)