Stasis Dermatitis Flashcards
What is the most common underlying cause of stasis dermatitis?
What is a common dermatological association with stasis dermatitis?
Chronic venous hypertension
Most common cause for secondary dissemination of dermatitis (Id reaction)
What are the mechanisms that lead to back flow into the superficial venous system, leading to varicose veins?
- Elevated hydrostatic pressure (damages capillary permeability barrier)
- Incompetent valves
What are the mechansims that lead to stasis dermatitis?
- Increased hydrostatic pressure damages capillary permeability barrier
- RBC extravasate = stasis purpura, hemosiderin deposits
- fluid/plasma proteins into tissue = edema
- Contact sensitization
- Irritant dermatitis due to wound secretions
List 4 clinical features of stasis dermatitis
- Pitting edema around/proximal to ankle
- Lipodermatosclerosis
- Acute = resembles cellulitis
- Chronic = inverted wine bottle, fibrotic skin
- Erythema, scaling and lichenification
- Intensely pruritic
- Episodes of vesiculation
- Contact sensitization (markedly symmetrical)
What are the mainstays of treatment for statis dermatitis?
- Control venous hypertension
- Compression
- Lifestyle changes (elevating feet, walk as much as possible)
- Exercise of calf muscles
- Surgical strategies (varicose vein treatment)
- Topical treatments
- Topical corticosteroids
- Emollients
- Avoid prolonged seating/standing
What are the 3 major types of leg ulcers?
- Venous
- Arterial
- Neuropathic/diabetic
For venous ulcers…
What is their typical location?
List 5 clinical features
Medial malleolus
- Shallow
- Irregular borders
- Yellow, fibrinous base
- Surrounding skin has hemosiderin deposits (yellow-brown discolouration)
- Stasis purpura (pinpoint petechiae)
- Lipodermatosclerosis
- Varicosities
- Leg/ankle edema
- Stasis dermatitis
For arterial ulcers…
What is their typical location?
List 5 clinical features
Pressure sites, distal points (toes)
- Dry, necrotic base
- Well-demarcated (“punched out”)
- Shiny, atrophic skin
- Hair loss
- Weak/absent peripheral pulses
- Cool feet
- Prolonged CRT (>3-4 seconds)
- Pallor with leg elevation (45˚ for 1 min)
- Dependent rubor
For neuropathic ulcers…
What is their typical location?
List 3 clinical features
Pressure sites
- Well demarcated “punched out”
- Thick callus
- peripheral neuropathy with decreased sensation
- Foot deformities
What is this dermatological finding?
Corona phlebectasia
List 4 risk factors for chronic venous disease
- Family history
- Age
- Female gender
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Prolonged standing
- Height
What is this dermatological finding?
Chronic lipodermatosclerosis
What is this dermatological finding?
What is another name for the white areas?
What should you assess for?
Livedoid vasculopathy
Atrophiae blanche
Thrombophilia
Why is maintenance of moisture important to wound healing?
- simulates collagen synthesis
- promotes angiogenesis by creating a hypoxic environment
- encourages reepithelialization
- decreases pain
How is colonization of a wound defined?
Explain critical colonization
Presence of replicating bacteria in a wound without evidence of tissue damage
Bacterial burden in a chronic wound not causing signs/symptoms of an infection but delaying healing