Varihesive sealed dressing for indolent leg ulcers.

Forty-three patients with indolent leg ulcers that were resistant to a wide variety of treatment methods for an average period of 353 weeks, were treated by the application of sealed dressings with Varihesive (a compound of gelatin, pectin, sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose and polyisobutylene) a non-allergenic wafer which sticks to a moist surface. Varihesive dressings proved to be effective both in affording pain relief, and in allowing healing of 36 out of 43 ulcers (84%) in a mean time of 10 weeks. It is concluded that such a non-allergenic seal provides optimum conditions for reepithelialization of chronic ulcers and that Varihesive dressings are a valuable adjunct in the local treatment of skin ulceration.