Treatment with type-I collagen scaffolds in patients with venous ulcers. Case report

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic venous insufficiency affects about 5% of the global adult population. Venous leg ulcers are one of the most frequent complications of this pathology, with a global prevalence of 2%. This disease affects both the quality of life of patients and, due to the high cost of the treatment, the health system. Compressive therapy and moist wound healing have been the gold standard treatment. However, when complications occur, they may not be effective.Case report: This is the case of a 66-year-old female patient with venous ulcers on her lower limbs and symptoms of fever and local pain that did not respond to conventional therapies. The patient was treated with a new dermal substitute made of an acellular type-I collagen membrane, which promotes the closure of the ulcer by stimulating the replacement of injured tissue with tissue similar to the healthy one. The condition of the patient improved at 16 weeks, and after 8 months of treatment there was no recurrence of the lesions.Conclusions: Acellular type-I collagen membrane developed by the Tissue Engineering Working Group of the Department of Pharmacy of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia is effective in treating venous ulcers of the lower limbs. Its low cost facilitates the access of the whole population to therapies based on its application.