Venous leg ulcers managed using polyurethane foam with a micropore dressing: two case reports

BACKGROUND: Cases of venous leg ulcers (VLU) are expected to rise due to the rapidly ageing population in Malaysia. Central to the management of these wounds is compression therapy together with an appropriate wound dressing. Pain and discomfort during dressing changes are common in these patients. Polyurethane foam dressings with SMARTPORE technology (micropore dressing; Mundipharma) facilitate vertical absorption of exudate to reduce risks of wound and periwound area maceration. They support easy dressing removal with less pain and trauma to the wound bed. Thus, the micropore dressing was chosen as a viable treatment option in these cases.

CASES: Case 1, a 74-year-old diabetic female was treated for bilateral VLUs with micropore dressing for several months, which she noted to be painless and convenient. Case 2, a 49-year-old housewife with a solitary VLU was treated with micropore dressing, leading to good treatment results and high satisfaction.

CONCLUSION: VLUs managed by the micropore dressing resulted in reduced pain and ease of use during dressing changes, as well as noticeable reduction in wound and periwound area maceration. The use of this type of dressing in these cases shows encouraging results and provides a desirable management option. More robust clinical studies are necessary to establish this.