A CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PRESENTATION IN PATIENTS WITH LEG ULCER - AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

DR.THAPPETA DEEPAK TONY RAJ; DR.INDHIREDDY YAMINI

Volume : VIII, Issue : X, October - 2019

A CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PRESENTATION IN PATIENTS WITH LEG ULCER - AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Dr. Thappeta Deepak Tony Raj, Dr. Indhireddy Yamini

Abstract :

BACKGROUND: Leg ulcer is characterized by circumscribed or irregular loss of tegument (dermis or epidermis), which may reach subcutaneous and subjacent tissues. It mostly affects the extremities of the lower limbs. OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and epidemiological profile of the patients with leg ulcers attending the Outpatient Department of Dermatology, PESIMSR, Kuppam. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients were included in the study group over a period of three months (April, May, June 2018). . RESULTS: The mean age was 63 years, with females (63%) more than males. The mean family members were 3 persons. Venous insufficiency (88%) is the most important factor associated with leg ulcers, followed in order of frequency by systemic arterial hypertension (55%), obesity (21%) and diabetes mellitus (18%). An association of venous insufficiency and systemic arterial hypertension was present in 47% of the cases. These were classified as venous (80%), hypertensive (17%) and mixed (3%) based on the etiology. The ulcers were generally localized in the distal third of lower limbs. Single ulcer was present in 65% of cases, two ulcers in 33% of cases and three ulcers in 2% of the cases. The ulcers were associated mainly with hyper–pigmentation (94%), lipodermatosclerosis (70%), varicose veins (68%), edema (60%), pruritis (58%) and eczema (44%), with a mean duration of 92 months and 50% of them were recurrent. CONCLUSION: The inference from the study was, leg ulcer is an important chronic illness in the elderly people causing greater morbidity. Accurate diagnosis and treating underlying cause will improve the quality of life of the patient.