The changes of dermal capillary morphology in different types of diabetic foot ulcer patients.

• Main Authors: Mohd Radzuan, Hazulin, Myint, Yi Yi, Tun, Ye, Zulkifly, Ahmad Hafiz
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Q Science (General); R Medicine (General); RB Pathology; RC627 Specialties of Internal Medicine-Metabolic Diseases; RD Surgery; RD701 Orthopedics; RD92 Wounds and injuries
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/83278/1/IIUM%20PG.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/83278/7/PROGRAMME%20SCHEDULE%20FOR%20IIUM%20PG%20RESEARCH%20CONFERENCE%202012.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/83278/13/IIUM%20PG%20research%20conference.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/83278/

Introduction Morphological changes affecting skin microvasculature in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), including dermal capillaries, may indicate microcirculatory dysfunction and subsequently affects the patient’s outcome. Methods We studied 42 subjects, involving 10 controls, 16 with neuropathic DFU and 16 with neuroischaemic DFU. The specimens were taken by using skin punch biopsy and routinely processed for light microscopy. We calculated and measured the luminal area : outer vessel area ratio in percentage (LA) from 3 selected capillaries in each slide of every patient and means of these reading were recorded. Results There were significant decrement in LA among the diseased group as compared to the controls, F (2, 39) = 17.54, p < 0.05. The Tukey post-hoc comparisons indicate that the LA between neuropathic and neuroischemic group was also significant as p < 0.05. Conclusion Decrement of LA among different types of DFU patients shows dermal capillaries adaptation towards diabetic state, thus causing restriction in the patency of skin microvasculature. This finding also supports the presence of intermittent claudication, particularly in neuroischemic DFU patients.