Arterial Skin Ulcer

You may have an arterial skin ulcer if:

• You have sharp pain with the ulcer. It may be worse at night. There may be less pain if you hang the leg over the side of the bed or you sleep in a chair.
• The ulcer looks like a dry sore with a ridge of dead skin around it or deep inside it.
• Skin around the ulcer may be dark red when the leg is lowered and pale when it’s raised. It may be cool to the touch, shiny, thin, and without hair.
• The ulcer won't heal, even if it's kept clean and bandaged.

Most arterial skin ulcers are caused by poor blood flow in the lower leg along with an injury on the leg or foot. This is often due to narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the leg.

An injury, even a small one, can become an ulcer if not enough blood can reach it to help it heal. You may get an ulcer on your leg or foot when you scrape or bump it. Or you may get one when something is pressing on it. For example, you may get an ulcer when you wear shoes that rub against your skin.

Many things can put you at risk of having an arterial skin ulcer. These include:

• Smoking.
• High cholesterol.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Obesity.
• Lack of exercise.
• A history of heart attacks or strokes.
• Older age.

An arterial skin ulcer is treated by improving blood flow in the area. The treatment may include:

• A procedure to open a narrowed or blocked blood vessel (angioplasty). Or surgery may be done to attach a new artery on both ends of a blockage so blood can go around the part of the blood vessel that is blocked (bypass surgery).
• Medicines, such as aspirin, if needed to help prevent more problems with your blood vessels or blood flow.

Treatment also includes care of the wound, such as:

• Using special coverings on the ulcer that will help protect the area and prevent infection.
• Taking antibiotics if there is an infection.
• Removing dead tissue from the wound (debridement).

If you have pain, your doctor will help you manage it.

In some cases, the tissue in the toes or the foot is too damaged to be saved. When that happens, the affected part of the leg or foot may have to be removed (amputated).

To help your ulcer heal, keep pressure off the affected leg or foot and keep the ulcer clean. Protect your lower leg and feet from injury. Have a healthy lifestyle. Be active, eat healthy foods, and don’t smoke. And take your medicines if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.