Treatment may include compression, elevation, and medical treatment. Symptoms · Causes · Types · Diagnosis Skin ulcers can form for a number of reasons, including poor blood circulation. Skin ulcers cause a crater-like skin depression, which may expel clear (called serous) fluid, blood, or, when infected, pus. The outer edge of a skin ulcer is often elevated and inflamed.
Rarely, inflammation, such as that caused by autoimmune diseases, can cause skin ulcers. One of these conditions is called pyoderma gangrenosum. Like venous ulcers, arterial skin ulcers are more common on the extremities, especially the lower legs. For example, in venous ulcers, compression bandages may be useful because they help circulation, while this treatment is not used for malignant skin ulcers.
If you suspect that you have a skin ulcer or a wound that isn't healing well, you should see your healthcare provider. Many types of cancer, including metastases, occur with skin ulceration, including the most common forms of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. In the early stages of a skin ulcer, you may only notice a discolored area, either darker or lighter than the surrounding skin tissue. Skin findings may include palpable purpura, subcutaneous nodules, digital ulcers and infarcts, vesicobullous lesions, and gingival hyperplasia.
The treatment of these ulcers requires careful evaluation of associated systemic conditions and a comprehensive analysis of the clinical and histological findings of the ulcer. When arteries don't supply blood to the skin properly, arterial skin ulcers, also called ischaemic ulcers, can develop. Any condition that compromises circulation makes you more likely to develop arterial skin ulcers. Because skin ulcers heal very slowly, you'll likely need medical advice and intervention to treat them.
If there is poor blood circulation, the wound on the skin cannot heal and may persist and leave an ulcer. Inflammatory disorders can cause ulceration or prevent healing directly or through the effect of medications used to treat the disorder; ulceration is a feature of many connective tissue diseases. These types of ulcers most often develop around bone areas, as there is less fat there to cushion the skin. When you go to examine your skin ulcer, your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your health condition and will want to know how long you have had the ulcer, if it is growing or healing, if it hurts, or if you bleed.
Ulcer examination involves recognizing the characteristics that are characteristic of certain types of ulcers and identifying problems that can be treated.
