Sickle Cell Ulcers | Sickle Cell Disease | WoundEducators.com

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that causes the bone marrow to produce red blood cells with defective hemoglobin. Leg ulcers are a common complication of sickle cell disease. Sickle cell leg ulcers appear either spontaneously or as a result of local trauma and often persist for a long time. Sickle cell ulcers usually begin as small, elevated, crusting sores on the lower third of the leg. They can be single or multiple. Some heal rapidly, but others persist for years or heal but then recur in the area of scar tissue. The pery wound tissue may present with hyperpigmentation and loss of subcutaneous fat and hair follicles. These ulcers can be very painful and are often accompanied by infection. Because of their common presentation, sickle cell ulcers are often mistaken for venous insufficiency ulcers.