leg ulcer
Last reviewed 03/2021
Chronic ulceration of the leg is a disruption of the epidermis and dermis in the lower limb of more than 6 weeks in duration and shows no tendency to heal after 3 months of appropriate treatment or is still not fully healed at 12 months (1,2).
- it affects elderly people more frequently and can be extremely expensive to manage
- in the UK, the cost of chronic leg ulceration is estimated to be approximately £600 million per annum
- the impact of leg ulceration on the health-related quality of life is of the same order as diabetes and arthritis (1)
A typical history is one of relapsing ulceration over decades.
Leg ulceration may be classified by aetiological frequency into
- venous - 70% of leg ulcers
- arterial -10% of leg ulcers
- mixed disease - 15% of leg ulcers
- less common causes - 5% of leg ulcers (2)
Reference:
- (1) Adeyi A et al. Leg ulcers in older people: A review of management. BJMP 2009;2(3):21-28
- (2) Agale SV. Chronic Leg Ulcers: Epidemiology, Aetiopathogenesis, and Management. Ulcers 2013;vol. 2013, Article ID 413604, 9 pages
clinical examination of ulcers
referral criteria from primary care - leg ulcer