Treating leg ulcers.

The term ulcer is an all- embracing one. It simply means an erosion or loss of continuity of the skin or of a mucus membrane, usually with inflammation. Strictly speaking, a wound with superficial loss of tissue following trauma is not primarily an ulcer, but may become ulcerated if infection occurs. However, Abramowich ( 1987 ) quotes from a Scottish study which defines a chronic leg ulcer as 'an open sore below the knee, anywhere on the leg or foot which takes more than six weeks to heal'.