Are arterial ulcers wet or dry?

It is unusual for arterial ulcers to have large amounts of drainage. Most are dry or have light exudate. Arterial wounds in patients with mixed arterial and venous disease may have more exudate.

Are arterial ulcers painful?

Yes, these wounds tend to be painful. However, diabetic patients with neuropathy may have very little discomfort.

How can you tell the difference between arterial, venous and diabetic ulcers?

These three types of wounds differ in terms of their anatomic location, patient symptoms and medical history, pain, clinical appearance, and exudate. While there may be some contribution from more than one etiology – arterial wounds in a diabetic patient, for example – there is typically one primary cause.

Where are arterial ulcers usually found?

Arterial ulcers are most common on the toes, followed by anywhere on the feet/ankles. In certain cases, like dialysis shunts or certain disease states, they may be found on the fingertips. There are instances of arterial wounds in other locations, but these are rare.

Are arterial ulcers deep or shallow?

Arterial wounds are typically shallow in appearance. The exception to this is an area of dry gangrene that auto-amputates or is surgically amputated. Those wounds can be fairly deep.

What causes arterial deficiency?

Arterial insufficiency has many causes, but the most common are atherosclerosis, smoking, and diabetes.

What is the differential diagnosis of arterial ulcer?

When one suspects an arterial ulcer, an investigation of the adequacy of arterial flow is performed. This provides information that fairly definitively defines the diagnosis. Other possible causes include diabetic wounds, atypical infections, autoimmune wounds, and other less common causes. With all of these etiologies, however, one should assess the adequacy of tissue perfusion to rule out arterial insufficiency as a contributing etiology.

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