Skin Disorders in Older Adults:Cutaneous Ulcers, Part 1

摘要

The legs are the most common site of cutaneous ulcers. The processes that cause ulceration are complex but usually involve some type of vascular compression. Ulcers can result from venous and arterial insufficiency. Diabetic ulcers are most common in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. These ulcers are caused by the combination of arterial blockage and nerve damage and typically occur on pedal pressure points. Diabetic ulcers have the same "punched-out" appearance as arterial ulcers. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an inflammatory disease that most often manifests as leg ulcers. An advancing edge of erythema around an ulcer suggests a bacterial infection. Venous ulcers, even if they are severe, do not have a border of erythema unless a secondary ulcerative cellulitis is present.