title: Current approaches to venous ulcers and compression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Venous ulcers affect as many as 2.5 million people in the United States and can cause substantial pain and loss of function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review current approaches to venous ulcers and compression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment options that have been proposed in the literature are discussed utilizing the Cochrane library database, Medline, and the author's clinical experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnostic findings and management strategies for venous ulcers are reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good wound care and compression therapy will heal the majority of small venous ulcers of short duration. For ulcers that are slow to heal, other approaches such as venous surgery and grafting with conventional or bioengineered skin substitutes should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA. tphill@bu.edu
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*