Focus: lower extremity wounds

Ankle–brachial index (ABI): a non-invasive test performed using a sphygmomanometer and a hand-held vascular Doppler to obtain the ratio of the ankle systolic blood pressure compared with the brachial systolic blood pressure; indicates severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the lower extremity.² Clinical practice guidelines recommend that an ABI (also known as ankle–brachial pressure index, or ABPI) be performed for all patients with lower extremity wounds.¹

Atrophie blanche: smooth, ivory-white plaque with an irregular hyperpigmented border and surrounding telangiectasias (red dots of dilated capillary loops) seen on the ankle or foot in one in three patients with lower extremity venous disease.^2,3

Haemosiderin: hyper-pigmentation, brown, grey, or purple discoloration stain on the surface of the skin in the gaiter area of the legs. It develops when venous hypertension forces the red blood cells out of capillaries and the breakdown of the red blood cells and haemoglobin causes tissue staining; ‘classic’ indicator of venous insufficiency.^2,3,4