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...

OBJECTIVE The study aims to compare the spectrum of leg ulcer aetiology in Skaraborg County in 1988 and 2002, an evaluation of 14 years of targeted leg ulcer intervention. DESIGN Cross-sectional study within the professional health-care system in Skaraborg County. MATERIALS In 2002, 621 leg ulcer patients were identified through a cross-sectional population survey. METHODS Half of the reg...

OBJECTIVE To compare the outcome and cost of care for leg ulcers in community leg ulcer clinics in Stockport District Health authority with Trafford District Health Authority as a control. DESIGN Detailed cost and efficacy studies conducted prospectively over a three month period in both districts both before and one year after the introduction of five leg ulcer clinics in Stockport. SETTIN...

We present a 28-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) complicated by a recalcitrant longstanding leg ulcer, which responded to complex therapy with local polydine, systemic ciprofloxacin, iloprost, enoxaparin and aspirin. Cyclophosphamide pulse therapy and corticosteroids controlled the systemic inflammation but failed to heal the leg ulcer. We considered a rationale of com...