Biomaterial Database

Management of leg ulcers. 2000

P K Sarkar, and S Ballantyne

City Hospital NHS Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK.

Leg ulcer is a leading cause of morbidity among older subjects, especially women in the Western world. About 400 years BC, Hippocrates wrote, "In case of an ulcer, it is not expedient to stand, especially if the ulcer be situated on the leg". Hippocrates himself had a leg ulcer. The best treatment of any leg ulcer depends upon the accurate diagnosis and the underlying aetiology. The majority of leg ulcers are due to venous disease and/or arterial disease, but the treatment of the underlying cause is far more important than the choice of dressing. The aetiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and the future trends in the management of the leg ulcers are discussed in this review.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007871	Leg Ulcer	Ulceration of the skin and underlying structures of the lower extremity. About 90% of the cases are due to venous insufficiency (VARICOSE ULCER), 5% to arterial disease, and the remaining 5% to other causes.	Leg Ulcers,Ulcer, Leg,Ulcers, Leg
D008297	Male		Males
D011187	Posture	The position or physical attitude of the body.	Postures
D003879	Dermatologic Agents	Drugs used to treat or prevent skin disorders or for the routine care of skin.	Agent, Dermatologic,Agent, Dermatological,Agents, Dermatologic,Dermatologic Agent,Dermatological Agents,Agents, Dermatological,Dermatological Agent
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006931	Hyperbaric Oxygenation	The therapeutic intermittent administration of oxygen in a chamber at greater than sea-level atmospheric pressures (three atmospheres). It is considered effective treatment for air and gas embolisms, smoke inhalation, acute carbon monoxide poisoning, caisson disease, clostridial gangrene, etc. (From Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992). The list of treatment modalities includes stroke.	Oxygenation, Hyperbaric,Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapies,Hyperbaric Oxygenations,Oxygen Therapies, Hyperbaric,Oxygen Therapy, Hyperbaric,Oxygenations, Hyperbaric,Therapies, Hyperbaric Oxygen,Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen
D001157	Arterial Occlusive Diseases	Pathological processes which result in the partial or complete obstruction of ARTERIES. They are characterized by greatly reduced or absence of blood flow through these vessels. They are also known as arterial insufficiency.	Arterial Obstructive Diseases,Arterial Occlusion,Arterial Obstructive Disease,Arterial Occlusions,Arterial Occlusive Disease,Disease, Arterial Obstructive,Disease, Arterial Occlusive,Obstructive Disease, Arterial,Occlusion, Arterial,Occlusive Disease, Arterial
D001458	Bandages	Material used for wrapping or binding any part of the body.	Dressings,Bandage,Dressing
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor