What assessment finding should the nurse expect to discover in a patient with a left lower extremity venous ulcer?

Choice A reason: Mottled but blanchable skin is more characteristic of arterial insufficiency or early ischemia rather than venous disease. Venous ulcers typically present with hyperpigmentation and edema. Choice B reason: A cold, gray-blue extremity suggests arterial insufficiency, not venous disease. Venous ulcers are usually warm due to inflammation and pooling of blood. Choice C reason: Brownish discoloration is a hallmark of chronic venous insufficiency. It results from hemosiderin deposition due to red blood cell breakdown and leakage from capillaries, commonly seen around venous ulcers. Choice D reason: Absence of hair is more indicative of arterial disease, where poor perfusion leads to trophic skin changes. Venous disease does not typically cause hair loss.