Ulcers are open skin sores. They can affect any area of the skin. But they most often occur on the legs. Venous ulcers are leg ulcers caused by problems with blood flow (circulation) in your leg veins.

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Normally, when you get a cut or scrape, your body's healing process starts working to close the wound. In time, the wound heals. But ulcers may not heal without proper treatment.

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Causes of venous ulcers

Venous ulcers most often form around the ankles. 

Venous ulcers typically occur because of damage to the valves inside the leg veins. These valves control the blood pressure inside the veins. They allow it to drop when you walk. If the blood pressure inside your leg veins doesn't fall as you're walking, the condition is called sustained venous hypertension. That increase in blood pressure causes ulcers to form on your ankles.

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Source: Hopkinsmedicine.org