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Post-Stripping Sclerodermiform Dermatitis
Lars E. French, MD;
Ralph Braun, MD;
Isabelle Masouyé, MD;
Albert-Adrien Ramelet, MD;
Philippe G. Humbert, MD;
Jean-Hilaire Saurat, MD
Arch Dermatol. 1999;135:1387-1391.
Background Cutaneous sclerosis, a process that results in hardening of the skin, is the hallmark of scleroderma and sclerodermoid disorders. Cutaneous sclerosis is usually classified as secondary or primary, depending on the presence or absence of underlying diseases. Primary cutaneous sclerosis is a feature of idiopathic inflammatory processes that are often associated with autoimmune disorders, whereas secondary cutaneous sclerosis arises in the context of many pathological processes of varying causes, including chronic graft-vs-host disease, defined metabolic or genetic disorders, and exposure to certain infectious organisms, drugs, or chemicals.
Observations Three patients had localized cutaneous sclerosis overlying the site of a surgically removed (stripped) great saphenous vein. In all 3 patients, lesions were clinically characterized by multiple hypopigmented and indurated plaques distributed linearly along the path of the preexisting vein. Extensive history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests did not reveal known predisposing factors for cutaneous sclerosis.
Conclusions Although the observed association of sclerodermiform dermatitis and venous stripping in these 3 patients does not imply a causal relationship, the absence of other identifiable predisposing factors and the striking linear distribution of the cutaneous lesions along the path of the preexisting vein are suggestive. This poststripping sclerodermiform dermatitis may be a rare late complication of saphenous vein stripping.
From the Department of Dermatology, Department Hospitalo-Universitaire Romand de Dermatologie Geneva/Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland (Drs French, Braun, Masouyé, and Saurat), and Service de Dermatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Besançon, France (Dr Humbert). Dr Ramelet is in private practice in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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