Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Patients with diabetes is predisposed for developing chronic diabetic wounds commonly known as diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and suffer from significant deficits in wound healing despite aggressive therapy. DFUs are an increasingly common problem and often resulting in severe morbidity and economic burden and associated with high mortality. The lifetime risk that a diabetic patient will acquire foot lesions (ulcers/gangrene) has been estimated at 15% to 25%, with an annual incidence of 1.0% to 4.1%.

DFUs are often accompanied of neuropathy and disease of the nervous system. The three major forms in people with diabetes are peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and mononeuropathy. The most common form is peripheral neuropathy, which affects mainly the legs and feet. Symptoms can be pain followed by loss of feeling in the foot. Neuropathy also reduces nervous control of oil and moisture of skin, which may crack. If ulcers are not treated carefully, patients with diabetic ulcers are far more likely to have a foot or leg amputated than other people.