O. Nelzen et al., LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LEG ULCERS - A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY, European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery, 13(5), 1997, pp. 500-508
Objectives: To assess the long-term prognosis of leg ulcers. Design: A
5 year prospective cohort study. Materials: A random sample of 382 pa
tients with open leg ulcers (foot ulcers included) treated in the comm
unity. Methods: Interim analyses were made at 15 months (arterial ulce
rs) and at 20 months (varicose ulcers). Long-term healing was assessed
at 54 months by a postal questionnaire. Five year survival was assess
ed by official population registries. Results: At 54 months 212 patien
ts (55%) were still alive, of whom 124 (58%) had healed their ulcers,
80 (38%) had open ulcers and eight (4%) were amputated. The healing wa
s worst for patients with venous ulcers, only 44% had healed their ori
ginal ulcers without recurrence. The 5 year survival was 52%, signific
antly lower than for age- and sex-matched controls (68%) (p=0.0002). P
atients with venous ulcers had a survival not significantly different
from controls and patients with arterial or other aetiologies had a do
ubled risk of death. Diabetic patients had a lower survival than nondi
abetics (p<0.05) and controls (p<0.0001), but the healing prognosis wa
s not significantly different. Conclusion: Only patients with non-veno
us ulcers have a higher mortality than expected. The long-term healing
prognosis for leg ulcer patients is poor and worst for patients with
venous ulcers.