Vascular disease
Neuropathic
Metabolic
Hematologic
Autoimmune
Exogenous
Neoplasia
Infection
Medication
Genetic defect
Skin disorder
Vascular disease
  • Venous: post-thrombotic syndrome, varicose veins, chronic venous reflux
  • Arterial: peripheral arterial occlusive disease, hypertension, arteriovenous fistulas, arterial thrombosis, embolism, dysplasia, thromboangiitis obliterans, aneurysm
  • Lymphatic: lymphedema
  • Microangiopathy: diabetes mellitus, livedoid vasculopathy
  • Vasculitis
  • Hypertensive arteriolopathy
Neuropathic
  • Peripheral neuropathy: diabetes mellitus, alcohol, medication, hereditary
  • Central neuropathy: tabes dorsalis, myelodysplasia, syringomyelia, spina bifida, poliomyelitis, multiple sclerosis
Metabolic
  • Diabetes mellitus, gout, prolidase deficiency, Gaucher disease, amyloidosis, calciphylaxis, porphyria, hyperhomocysteinemia
Hematologic
  • Sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, polycythemia vera, leukemia, thrombocythemia, lymphoma, myeloplastic disorders, disorders of coagulation factors (factors I-XIII), coagulation inhibitors (antithrombin III, activated protein C resistance, protein C and S), or fibrinolysis factors (tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor, plasmin)
Autoimmune
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, scleroderma, Behçet disease, cryoglobulinemia
Exogenous
  • Heat, cold, pressure, ionizing radiation, chemical, allergens, trauma
Neoplasia
  • Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (Marjolin ulcer), malignant melanoma, angiosarcoma, cutaneous lymphoma, papillomatosis cutis carcinoides, keratoacanthoma
Infection
  • Bacterial: furuncles, ecthyma, mycobacterioses, syphilis, erysipelas, anthrax, diphtheria, chronic vegetative pyodermia, tropical ulcer
  • Viral: herpes, variola virus, cytomegaly
  • Fungal: sporotrichosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis
  • Protozoal: leishmaniasis
Medication
  • Hydroxyurea, leflunomide, methotrexate, halogens, coumarin, vaccinations, ergotamine, infiltration cytostatic agents
Genetic defect
  • Klinefelter syndrome, Felty syndrome, TAP1 mutation, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, inherited hypercoagulable factors
Skin disorder
  • Pyoderma gangrenosum, necrobiosis lipoidica, sarcoidosis, perforating dermatosis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, papulosis maligna atrophicans, bullous skin diseases

Modified from Dissemond J, Korber A, Grabbe S. Differential diagnosis of leg ulcers. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 2006;4:627-34.