Martorell's
ulcer is a type of ischaemic
ulcer of the lower leg, defined by severe
pain and female-to-male predominance. The aim of this article is to assess the therapeutic effectiveness of
PGE(1), both in
pain control and in the healing times of Martorell's
ulcers for patients already undergoing
antihypertensive treatment. Between January 2004 and December 2008, we recruited 10 patients with Martorell's
ulcers. These patients were organized into two groups (A and B). Group A included six patients who underwent only
antihypertensive treatment with
calcium channel blockers or
angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Group B consisted of four patients who underwent continuous administration of
PGE(1) through a single-day
elastomer (120 µg/24 hours) for 7 days. In both groups, we observed a progressive reduction in the surface area of Martorell's
ulcers until complete recovery, but there was a significant difference with regards to healing time. We also observed a significant improvement in symptomatic
pain after only 2 days of
PGE(1)
therapy. It has now been proved that
antihypertensive treatment leads to
ulcers healing but, according to our experience,
intravenous infusion of
prostaglandins improves peripheral perfusion and symptomatic
pain and decreases healing time.