The accurate measurement of the size of skin wounds and ulceration is
important for comparing the efficiency of treatment modalities and for
monitoring progress in the individual patient. Although various metho
ds of differing sophistication are in use, many of the common simpler
techniques lack accuracy and reliability. We describe a new technique
of ulcer measurement which uses video image recording, capture and com
puter analysis, A method of correcting for limb convexity in a two-dim
ensional image is presented, The method has an overall accuracy of 1.8
2% and a clinical precision of 3.41%, both of which are significantly
better than acetate tracings or photographic methods, The technique is
simple and rapid, and once established it incurs minimal ongoing cost
s.