Lower limb ulcers

Ulcer is a loss of lining fabric. It is not a disease but a manifestation of some underlying problem that requires evaluation and treatment. Leg ulcers are a public health problem because it afflicts about 1–2 % of the population in developed Western countries and about 4 % of people over 65 years. The most frequent causes of ulceration are: (1) vascular (venous, arterial, lymphatic, vasculitis); (2) neuropathic (diabetic neuropathy, Hansen’s disease, etc.); (3) Mmetabolic (porphyria); (4) neoplastic (Kaposi’s sarcoma, basal cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas); (5) hematologic (cryoglobulinemia, sickle cell anemia, spherocytosis, polycythemia, etc.); (6) infectious and parasitic diseases (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and parasites); and undefined. Topical treatment consists in the use of dressings and local agents, and this is only a part of the treatment. It must be stressed that the cause of the ulcer should be treated and interdisciplinary monitoring is required.