Leg ulcers are frequent. There are no epidemiological studies available in France, but international studies estimate the prevalence between 0.045 and 0.63% of the total population, prevalence increases with age, reaching 5% of patients over 80 years. Extrapolating these prevalences in the French population between 28 000 and 395 000 people are affected in France a leg ulcer.

It is a costly disease. In 2001, a French study conducted among 800 physicians, including 85.7% of general practitioners, involving more than 1000 patients with venous ulcers, it was estimated that the total cost of treatment per patient average was 888 32 euros. This is truly a public health problem.

Leg ulcers are in 80% of cases of vascular causes (venous, arterial or arteriovenous mixed). However, there are rare causes of ulcers: skin carcinoma, infectious ulcers and vasculitis. These ulcers rare causes require specific treatments that can often heal. To diagnose, to perform a skin biopsy. Thus, the general practitioner must know when to put the indication for biopsy of a leg ulcer.

Goal :

Analyzing the last 100 consecutive skin biopsies performed in patients carriers of chronic leg ulcers, followed in the vascular medicine department of the Hospital Saint Joseph Paris, to determine:

• The reasons which motivated the doctor make the indication of biopsy:
• Disease duration of ulcer
• Unusual clinical features
• Other signs associated with ulcer
• Absence of a satisfactory explanation vascular
• The pathological results Purpose: To clear a typical profile ulcers biopsy

Methodology :

• Retrospective, single-center,

• Acquisition of data: via the pathology laboratory of the hospital will be collected the last 100 consecutive biopsies performed with leg ulcers in vascular medicine department of the hospital Saint Joseph Paris, between 1 January 2013 and the October 1, 2013. Then be analyzed all paper and electronic records of these patients.

• Grid and Analysis:

  • Patient histories,
  • vascular profile of patients,
  • clinical and chronological criteria of the ulcer,
  • Other signs associated with ulcer
  • Results of histological biopsies.

• The data will be made anonymous on the grid for collection by a numbering system 1 100.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The last 100 consecutive skin biopsies performed in patients carriers of chronic leg ulcers, hospitalized in the vascular medicine department of the Hospital Saint Joseph Paris

Exclusion Criteria:

• No exclusion criteria

The last 100 consecutive skin biopsies performed in patients carriers of chronic leg ulcers, hospitalized in the vascular medicine department of the Hospital Saint Joseph Paris