Venous leg ulcers are open, often painful, sores in the skin that take more than a month to heal. They usually develop on the inside of the leg, just above the ankle. If you have a venous leg ulcer, you may also have: swollen ankles (oedema) discolouration and darkening of the skin around the ulcer hardened skin around the ulcer, which may make your leg feel hard or even resemble the shape of an upside-down champagne bottle a heavy feeling in your legs aching or swelling in your legs red, flaky, scaly and itchy skin on your legs (varicose eczema) swollen and enlarged veins on your legs (varicose veins) an unpleasant and foul-smelling discharge from the ulcer