Nonhealing venous ulcer in a patient with dystrophic soft tissue calcification

Abstract

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are lesions of the skin found in regions of venous hypertension. VLUs that fail to heal can become chronic, especially because of calcified deposits in the bed of the ulcer. The unclear mechanism behind the cause of calcification poses a challenge when approaching diagnosis and management. In the present report, we discuss the case of a 58-year-old woman who had presented with a chronic VLU that was resistant to healing despite numerous interventions. During a 3-year period, a multidisciplinary team was involved to provide medical and surgical care. Eventually, she was found to have dystrophic calcification of the VLU.

Keywords: Calcification; Leg ulcer; Venous ulcer.

Fig 1

Photograph of a chronic venous ulcer with dystrophic calcification of the left leg.

Fig 2

Excision of the calcified subcutaneous tissue and debridement of the ulcer.

Fig 3

Clinical course timeline of the ulcer since presentation.