Treatment of a Chronic Gouty Ulcer on the Lateral Malleolus with Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) Therapy

Gouty ulceration is a clinical manifestation of gout, which is a metabolic disease induced by disturbed purine metabolism. In general, protruded gout tophus and secondary infection made a gouty ulceration. It was generally treated with surgical debridement of the tophus and infected tissue. Inevitably, we make the skin defect if needed the wide surgical debridement. We waited for granulation tissue healing of the defect, then finished with a skin graft. However, larger sized gouty ulcerations require a longer period of healing time. We commonly used the vacuum assisted wound closer device (VAC) for shortening the healing time in diabetic foot ulceration. Use of VAC for a gouty ulceration was not nearly reported in literature. We report on the use of VAC after surgical debridement to heal a chronic gouty ulceration around the lateral malleolus.

Vacuum Assisted Wound Closure Appliance and Continuous Irrigation on Infected Chronic Wound

PURPOSE: Continuous irrigation method is an important step in managing wound infection. V.A.C. devices have been used in intractable wounds for reducing discharge, improving local blood flow, and promoting healthy granulation tissue. We expect synergistic effects of reduced infection and more satisfactory, accelerated wound healing when using both methods simultaneously. This study evaluated continuous irrigation combined with V.A.C. appliance for treatment of infected chronic wounds. METHODS: We reviewed data from 17 patients with infected intractable chronic wounds. V.A.C. device(Group A) was used in 9 patients, and V.A.C. with antibiotics irrigation(Group B) was used in 8 patients. We placed Mepitel(R) on the surface of wound and placed an irrigation and aspiration tube on each side. A sponge was placed on the Mepitel(R) and covered with film dressing. The wound was irrigated continuously with mixed antibiotics solution at the speed of 200 cc/hr and aspirated through the wall suction at the pressure of -125 mmHg. V.A.C. applied time, wound culture and wound size were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: No complication were seen in two groups. Compared with Group A, in the Group B, V.A.C. applied time was shortened from 32.7 days to 25.6 days and showed efficacy in the reduction rate of wound size. No statistical differences were shown in bacterial reversion. CONCLUSION: V.A.C. appliance with continuous irrigation is an effective new method of managing infected chronic wounds and useful to reduce treatment duration and decrease wound size. Moreover it could be applied more widely to infected wound.