INCIDENCE AND ETIOPATHOGENESIS OF LOWER LIMB ULCERSPROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: An ulcer is a discontinuity in the epithelial surface. Ulcers are wounds with a full-thickness depth and have a varied healing tendency. Ulcers can present with complete loss of the epidermis, loss of the dermis and also loss of subcutaneous fat. Lower limb chronic ulcers are a relatively common condition among adults, which often causes discomforting pain at rest, limits mobility and also brings social distress. It is estimated that the prevalence of active leg ulceration is 0.15%. The aetiology of chronic limb ulcers includes venous disorders, arterial disease and neuropathy. The prevalence of leg ulcers depends on various associated concomitant diseases and also varies geographically and even among ethnic groups. This study is being conducted to assess the factors associate Aims and Objectives: d with lower limb ulcers and its aetiology on the patients admitted to Kanyakumari Government Medical College. The study is carried out on 100 patient Materials and Methods: s with lower limb ulcers admitted to the Department of General Surgery at KGMCH. The Results: study was conducted among 100 patients, with the majority of patients in the age group between 19 and 78 years of age and a mean age of 61. Male predominance was reported in the study, with 67 patients being male. The ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) of the study population is between 0.7 and 0.9 for 43% of patients. The study identied that right foot is the most common site involved. Diabetes was the commonest metabolic disorder and present in 40% of the patients 31% of the patients have hypertension. 57% of the study population presented in Wagner's Grade 3 ulcer. The average size of the ulcer at the time of presentation is 4.8 cm2. As the age of people advances, the chances of them getting chronic leg ul Conclusion: cers also proportionately increase. It is also evident that the incidence of ulcers is higher among the male population, as they have more mobility in the outside environment and tend to have more ulcers than the female population. Though systemic diseases like diabetes play a major role as a precipitative metabolic event, leg ulcers are often the leading cause of hospitalisation, loss of mobility, pain and amputation, and incur huge nancial burdens. The chronicity of the problem and its perennial nature always result in an ongoing melody throughout the life span of the individuals. Prevention followed by early appropriate care is the only option that can help get rid of this and avoid the agony of amputation. The newer concepts of wound care, such as vacuum therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, PRP therapy, etc., must be made available at all public hospitals to cater to the needs of these suffering people.