Abstract
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Highlights
IntroductionPresence of varicose veins in lower limbs is a common condition in the community affecting 14 to 59% of the population (1)
The reported cases illustrate a number of characteristic features of deaths due to haemorrhage from varicose veins
Haemorrhage may occur from rupture of an intact varix, sometimes associated with minor trauma, from chronic venous ulceration into a superficial varix, or from more substantial trauma, causing laceration of skin and soft tissues overlying a varicosity
Summary
Presence of varicose veins in lower limbs is a common condition in the community affecting 14 to 59% of the population (1). The most frequently affected veins are the superficial veins of the lower extremities (3) While complications such as leg oedema, varicose eczema and ulceration are not unusual, fatal haemorrhage from rupture is a rare event in most forensic practices. This rupture can happen spontaneously or as a result of minor trauma and in general is not fatal (2). If unattended, a fatal outcome can occur in a small percentage of cases (3) The investigation of such cases is usually straightforward, the amount of blood at the scene, and the elderly and frail nature of many of the victims may raise the possibility of an assault
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