Wound healing

Abstract

Key Features: The physiological process of wound healing can be distinguished into three phases: inflammation, tissue formation, and tissue remodeling. Multiple systemic diseases and topical factors can inhibit mechanisms of normal wound repair, which may lead to chronic non-healing wounds. Identification of systemic and topical causes of impaired healing is fundamental for the therapy of non-healing wounds and requires an interdisciplinary approach. Non-healing wounds are symptoms of underlying common (ulcus cruris venosum, ulcus arteriosum, diabetes mellitus, decubitus) or rare (pyoderma gangrenosum, vasculitis, connective tissue disease, drugs, neoplasm, infection, vaso-occlusive disease) etiologies. Identification of factors that impede wound healing is based on the patient's history, aspects of physical examination, laboratory tests, instrumental investigation, and wound histology. Treatment of non-healing wounds should aim to correct underlying systemic and topical causes and is based on an interdisciplinary treatment regime. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.