THE PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC LOWER-LIMB ULCERATION HAS BEEN UNDERESTIMATED - RESULTS OF A VALIDATED POPULATION QUESTIONNAIRE

A validated population questionnaire was used to survey 12 000 randoml y selected inhabitants, aged 50-89 years, in two defined regions of Sw eden. The sample included 7 per cent of the total population in the ag e interval. Overall response rate was 91 per cent. Open ulcers were re ported by 306 subjects and 143 (47 per cent) agreed to be examined. Th e false-positive response rate was high (43 per cent). The observed po int prevalence of open leg ulcers was 0.63 (95 per cent confidence int erval 0.54-0.72) per cent of the total population. The overall prevale nce of leg ulcer history (open plus healed) in the population was esti mated to be around 2 per cent and the ratio of open:previous ulcers wa s 1:2. This study shows a point prevalence more than double that expec ted, indicating a high rate of self treatment. Assessments of leg ulce r prevalence through the health care system, without knowledge of the rate of self care, measure only the workload of health care profession als. The problem of leg ulcers has generally been underestimated.