Elizabeth Ansert, Anthony Tickner, Donald Cohen, Weldon Murry, Samuel Gorelik
Atypical etiologies account for approximately 5% to 20% of chronic ulcerations, whereas 43% of chronic ulcerations are infected ulcerations, 22% are diabetic ulcerations, and 19% are vascular ulcerations. Because of the lower proportion of atypical etiologies, research and industry interest in these ulcerations is lower than in the more common ulceration etiologies. The ability to recognize these so-called zebras, or wounds that are epidemiologically rare, can be critical to the treatment course and the patient’s overall well-being. An uncommon etiology should be suspected clinically when a wound does not show signs of healing with conventional care, when pain is out of proportion to the clinical presentation, or for the wound with an atypical clinical appearance … read more