Photo Rounds

Chronic, nonhealing leg ulcer

Author and Disclosure Information

When this patient’s chronic stasis ulcer failed to respond to the usual treatment of dressings, elevation, and diuretics, our suspicions led us to an unexpected diagnosis.


 

References

An 80-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, psoriasis vulgaris with associated pruritus, and well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with a slowly enlarging ulceration on her left leg of 1 year’s duration. She noted that this lesion healed less rapidly than previous stasis leg ulcerations, despite using the same treatment approach that included dressings, elevation, and diuretics to decrease pedal edema.

Physical examination revealed plaques with white micaceous scaling over her extensor surfaces and scalp, as well as guttate lesions on the trunk, typical of psoriasis vulgaris. A 5.8 × 7.2-cm malodorous ulceration was superimposed on a large psoriatic plaque on her left anterior lower leg (FIGURE 1). A 4-mm punch biopsy was obtained from the peripheral margin.

Malodorous ulceration superimposed on a psoriatic plaque

WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS?
HOW WOULD YOU TREAT THIS PATIENT?

Pages

Recommended Reading

Melanoma experts say ‘no’ to routine gene profile testing
MDedge Family Medicine
Fatal pediatric melanomas diverse in presentation
MDedge Family Medicine
Your role in early diagnosis & Tx of metastatic bone disease
MDedge Family Medicine
AGA Clinical Practice Update: Young adult–onset colorectal cancer diagnosis and management
MDedge Family Medicine
Endoscopic screening for gastric cancer is cost effective in Asian Americans
MDedge Family Medicine
Novel calculator predicts cancer risk in patients with CVD
MDedge Family Medicine
Orthopedic problems in children can be the first indication of acute lymphoblastic leukemia
MDedge Family Medicine
CRC risk: Raised by meat/alcohol, lowered by aspirin/NSAIDs
MDedge Family Medicine
HPV vaccine shown to substantially reduce cervical cancer risk
MDedge Family Medicine
Choosing Wisely: 10 practices to stop—or adopt—to reduce overuse in health care
MDedge Family Medicine