title: Leg ulcers in patients with sickle cell disease.
abstract: Chronic leg ulcers may result from vasoocclusive complications associated with the decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease or its variants. Nonsurgical management includes the use of anti-sickling drugs and chemical manipulation of the hemoglobin composition. It has been suggested that the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) may help by stimulating proliferation of red blood cell precursors; it also has been proposed that r-HuEPO may act as a growth factor to non-hematologic tissues. Surgical management is a choice of last resort, often requiring microsurgical techniques, such as free-flap transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Allegheny University East Falls, Philadelphia, Pa, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cackovic
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kerstein
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin