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Etiology and incidence of chronic ulcers in Blantyre, Malawi
Author(s) -
Zeegelaar Jim E.,
Stroïnk Aimee C.,
Steketee Willemyn H.,
Faber William R.,
Van Der Wal Allard C.,
Komolafe Isaac O. O.,
Dzamalala Charles,
Chibwana Cecilia,
Wendte Johannes F.,
Zijlstra Eduard E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2006.02858.x
Subject(s) - medicine , etiology , incidence (geometry) , malignancy , dermatology , surgery , optics , physics
Abstract Background Little information is available on the incidence and etiology of chronic ulcers in the tropics. Therefore, the incidence and etiology of chronic skin ulcers were assessed in out‐patients at the Department of Dermatology and in in‐patients at the Departments of Dermatology, Surgery, Medicine, and Pediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Blantyre, Malawi. Method In a 10‐week study period, 44 patients (31 males, 70%) with chronic skin ulcers were diagnosed from 6292 patients seen by the departments involved. Results The mean age of patients with ulcers was 38 years (range, 9 months to 82 years). The most frequent cause of ulcers was bacterial infection ( n = 22), followed by malignancy ( n = 11) and trauma ( n = 7). Conclusion In contrast with developed countries, venous and diabetic ulcers were uncommon. In addition to bacterial infections, a surprisingly large number of malignancies were found in this study. We speculate that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which is seen with a high prevalence at QECH, is a contributing factor. Because of the large number of malignancies, we recommend early histopathologic investigation of chronic ulcers in this part of Africa.