Management of Leg Ulcers

Book excerpt: Chronic leg ulcers affect approximalety 1% of the adult population in industrial countries. They cause major disability and their enormous socioeconomic impact is still underestimated. This volume provides comprehensive information on the assessment and treatment of leg ulcers. Different aspects of venous leg ulcers like epidemiology, examination with Doppler and duplex sonography, venography, functional assessments as well as the most common modern classifications are recapitulated. Also, conservative treatment methods such as compression therapy, mobilization of the ankle joint and lymph drainage or different surgical techniques for recalcitrant venous ulcers are discussed. The chapters dealing with diabetic foot ulcers give a general outlook including patient instruction, orthopedic footwear and podiatric care along with management of the diabetic foot infection, and the indications for orthopedic and vascular interventions. General practitioners, internists, surgeons, dermatologists, as well as nurses, podiatrists, and physiotherapists will find this publication an indispensable summary on the state of the art in the management of chronic leg ulcers.