What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a surgical approach to successfully treat a large, painful leg ulcer in a patient with systemic sclerosis, after other conservative treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen, had failed.
What They Found
Initial treatments, including systemic antibiotics, nifedipine, intravenous iloprost, intravenous penicillin G, and hyperbaric oxygen, failed to heal the ulcer, which was associated with an ankle systolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg (ankle-brachial index 0.65). After femoropopliteal bypass surgery normalized blood pressure, the wound remained recalcitrant. A second surgical attempt involving radical debridement and split skin grafting resulted in over 90% graft take and spontaneous healing of the remaining wound.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to a wider patient population.