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No More Venous Ulcers—What More Can We Do?

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most severe complication caused by the progression of chronic venous insufficiency. They account for approximately 70–90% of all chronic leg ulcers (CLUs). A total of 1% of the Western population will suffer at some time in their lives from a VLU. Furthermore, most C...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Stanek, Agata, Mosti, Giovanni, Nematillaevich, Temirov Surat, Valesky, Eva Maria, Planinšek Ručigaj, Tanja, Boucelma, Malika, Marakomichelakis, George, Liew, Aaron, Fazeli, Bahar, Catalano, Mariella, Patel, Malay
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10573394/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37834797
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm12196153
Descripción
Sumario:Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most severe complication caused by the progression of chronic venous insufficiency. They account for approximately 70–90% of all chronic leg ulcers (CLUs). A total of 1% of the Western population will suffer at some time in their lives from a VLU. Furthermore, most CLUs are VLUs, defined as chronic leg wounds that show no tendency to heal after three months of appropriate treatment or are still not fully healed at 12 months. The essential feature of VLUs is their recurrence. VLUs also significantly impact quality of life and could cause social isolation and depression. They also have a significant avoidable economic burden. It is estimated that the treatment of venous ulceration accounts for around 3% of the total expenditure on healthcare. A VLU-free world is a highly desirable aim but could be challenging to achieve with the current knowledge of the pathophysiology and diagnostic and therapeutical protocols. To decrease the incidence of VLUs, the long-term goal must be to identify high-risk patients at an early stage of chronic venous disease and initiate appropriate preventive measures. This review discusses the epidemiology, socioeconomic burden, pathophysiology, diagnosis, modes of conservative and invasive treatment, and prevention of VLUs.