ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION CAUSING LEG ULCERS

We report clinical and histological features of 16 consecutive patient s with hypertensive leg ulcers. The lumen/wall ratio in arterioles at the edges of these hypertensive leg ulcers was compared with that in o ther types of chronic leg ulcers and was found to be significantly red uced (P < 0.001). Additional conditions such as venous hypertension or main vessel arterial disease contributed. Nineteen of 22 ulcers were completely healed after a mean of 4.9 months. Recognition of this cond ition enables correct treatment choice, which usually involves excisio n and grafting, and early healing.