LEG ULCERS - REPORT ON A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

In a Swedish survey, leg ulcer disease has been found to have a preval ence of around 1%. The multifactorial etiology requires a multidiscipl inary approach, Forty-three patients with leg ulcers have been examine d clinically and by pathophysiological and roentgenological investigat ions. Proper conservative treatment was instituted in 25 of the patien ts, and the remaining were treated by venous surgery, arterial surgery and skin transplantation. The previously used therapy only achieved h ealing in 23% of these patients, but after multidisciplinary assessmen t and treatment the healing rate was improved to 83%, The ulcer-free p eriod of the whole group was 62% during a follow-up of 24 (3-36) month s, The healing of venous ulcers can be improved by a multidisciplinary assessment by a vascular surgeon and a dermatologist.