Investigations for Assessment

One of the most important aspects of leg ulcer management is to establish the causal pathology. Unless the correct diagnosis is established treatment is, at best, likely to be unsuccessful but could be harmful¹. For example, inappropriate use of compression bandaging can cause significant skin necrosis^1,2. Equally, failure to use adequate compression when treating venous ulceration has been shown to delay healing³ significantly. It is therefore important that the patient is fully assessed and a structured history obtained^4,5. This should determine which investigations will be required.