NEUROPATHIC ULCER

Course overview

NEUROPATHIC ULCERS OCCUR WHEN A PATIENT WITH THE POOR NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM HAS PRESSURE POINTS THAT CAUSE ULCERATION THROUGH THE EPIDERMAL AND DERMAL TISSUE LAYERS. THIS IS A COMMON CONDITION IN THE FOOT AND OCCASIONALLY OTHER BODY PARTS. NEUROPATHIC ULCERATIONS ARISE FROM PROMINENCES FROM THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE, CAUSING PRESSURE POINT ABNORMALITIES ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF AN INSENSATE BODY PART. THIS IS MOST COMMONLY SEEN IN THE FOOT WHEN PEDAL PROMINENCES CAUSE PRESSURE DURING AMBULATION. DUE TO THE LACK OF SENSATION IN THE AREA, THE PATIENT IS MUCH LESS LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO FEEL ANY PAIN OR ABNORMALITIES IN SENSATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE ULCERATION. TO DECREASE HEALING TIME AND AVOID THE RELATED MORBIDITY AND OCCASIONAL MORTALITY WITH THIS DISEASE, THE CONDITION MUST BE RECOGNIZED EARLY, EVALUATED PROPERLY, AND TREATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THERAPIES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO WORK. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF NEUROPATHIC ULCERS AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.