Various Types of Wounds That Diabetic Patients Can Develop: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Diabetic foot complications represent a substantial health burden and are the foremost cause of hospitalization in patients with diabetes. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to cause several other problems. Diabetes is rapidly becoming the leading cause of illness and death worldwide. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most painful complications of diabetes. These complications cause problems in blood vessels, nerves, and other organs throughout the body. DFU pathophysiology is attributed to a triad of neuropathies, trauma with secondary infection, and arterial occlusive disease. This review aims to identify the types of wounds that diabetics can develop. Owing to the complexity of their disease pathology, diabetics are susceptible to a variety of wounds, such as diabetic ulcers due to trauma (DUDT); neuropathic, ischemic, neuroischemic, arterial, venous, and mixed wounds; and diabetic bullae, furuncles, cellulitis, and carbuncles. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare providers to recognize the specific classification of a diabetic wound based on its distinctive attributes to provide appropriate wound care and therapeutic interventions. In the context of individuals with diabetes, it is of paramount significance to precisely identify the types of wounds during the initial evaluation to provide appropriate care and treatment, thereby enhancing the probability of favorable outcomes.

Keywords: DUDT; Diabetic wounds; arterial; ischemic; neuroischemic; neuropathic; venous.

Figure 1.

(A) DUDT, (B) ishemic ulcer, (C) arterial ulcer, (D) neuropathic ulcer, (E) mix ulcer, (F) neuro-ischemic, (G) furuncle/carbuncle, (H) venous ulcer, (I) diabetic bullae, and (J) cellulitis. Source: Data adapted from Suriadi, Cellulitis contributed by Suriadi.