The term "varicose eczema", although made acceptable by its use, is ambiguous and misleading. It would prompt us to believe that varicose eczema is different from common dermatological eczema. There is no such difference, and it would be more correct to speak of eczema of the varicose patient. The development of eczema in the case of a varicose patient may: --either develop in the case of a varicose patient who does not normally suffer from eczematous dermatosis; in this case static dermatitis represents a point of local reference for an eczematous crisis triggered off by a general factor and finding there a zone of reduced resistance; --or develop in the case of a known habitual eczematic. In this case, venous stasis increases and maintains the eczema. In both cases no local dermatological treatment will be able to cure the eczema, which will develop into a critical condition often provoking the development of a leg ulcer, and will necessitate the suppression of the venous counter-current. To try and understand the pathological mechanism of "varicose eczema", we have to remember the rudiments of the physiology of the cutaneous barrier, familiar to dermatologists but less so to phlebologists, and also some elements of the physiopathology of venous insufficiency, and in particular the tissular elements following the pattern explained by Comel's Italian school, by the term "histo-angiological decompensation". The circulatory unit "arteries-capillaries-veins-lymphatic-vessels-tissues" form an ensemble which has to be taken into account, as any disorders in any one of these elements reacts on all the others. These elementary rudiments lead us to understand the importance of an integral aetiopathogenic picture of varicose eczema, and the importance of the multidisciplinary collaboration between phlebologists and dermatologists in order to treat this affection, the border-line of our two specialties.
“静脉曲张性湿疹”这一术语，尽管因其使用而被认可，但却含混不清且具有误导性。它会使我们认为静脉曲张性湿疹与普通的皮肤湿疹不同。实际上并无这种差异，更准确的说法应是静脉曲张患者的湿疹。静脉曲张患者发生湿疹的情况可能有：——要么发生在通常不患湿疹性皮炎的静脉曲张患者身上；在这种情况下，静止性皮炎是由一般因素引发的湿疹发作的局部参照点，且在该部位存在抵抗力降低的区域；——要么发生在已知的习惯性湿疹患者身上。在这种情况下，静脉淤滞会加重并维持湿疹。在这两种情况下，局部皮肤治疗都无法治愈湿疹，湿疹会发展成严重状况，常常引发腿部溃疡，且必须消除静脉逆流。为了试图理解“静脉曲张性湿疹”的病理机制，我们必须记住皮肤屏障生理学的基础知识，皮肤科医生对此较为熟悉，而静脉病学家则了解较少，同时还要记住静脉功能不全的生理病理学的一些要素，特别是按照科梅尔的意大利学派所解释的模式，用“组织血管学失代偿”这一术语来描述的组织学要素。循环单元“动脉 - 毛细血管 - 静脉 - 淋巴管 - 组织”构成一个整体，必须予以考虑，因为这些要素中的任何一个出现紊乱都会对其他要素产生影响。这些基本要点使我们明白静脉曲张性湿疹完整病因病理图景的重要性，以及静脉病学家和皮肤科医生之间多学科协作对于治疗这种处于我们两个专业边界的疾病的重要性。
