Latent Dystrophic Subcutaneous Calcification in Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Abstract

Dystrophic calcification in the skin occurs in association with a variety of disorders. To determine the association between subcutaneous calcification and chronic venous insufficiency, X-ray examinations were performed in 20 patients with chronic venous insufficiency and in 20 control subjects to detect latent calcification in their lower legs. Of the 20 patients, 13 (65%) had subcutaneous calcification, and the prevalence appeared to increase with disease duration, while only 4 control subjects (20%) had minimal calcification. Two types of calcification were identified based on their radiographic features: punctate and trabecular/reticular types. Patients with trabecular/reticular calcification had longer disease duration and more severe clinical scores than patients with punctate calcification. None of the control subjects had trabecular/reticular types of calcification. The identification of the presence and progression of latent calcification in the lower legs is useful, and may be necessary for the long-term management of chronic venous insufficiency, since calcification of skin tissues impedes wound healing and can be a risk factor for refractory ulcers.

Ceramic Nanofiber Materials for Wound Healing and Bone Regeneration: A Brief Review

“…Although BG are extensively investigated and used for wound-healing applications, the studied glass compositions have already been shown to form a layer of hydroxycarbonate of apatite (HCA) on their surface [ 69 , 82 ]. However, just one layer of HCA can inhibit hemostasis, and Ca deposits can impede the healing of ulcers [ 69 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. In this context, Jung and Day [ 87 ] produced borate glass fibers scaffolds by the melt blow technique, containing one or more trace elements of Cu, F, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, and Zn, chemically dissolved in the material at a concentration of about 0.05 and 10% by weight.…”

The use of high-frequency skin ultrasound in the diagnosis of lipodermatosclerosis

“…Tokoro et al (10) , on the other hand, used PA and lateral tibial radiographs for the diagnosis of lipodermatosclerosis. They confirmed the presence of skin and subcutaneous tissue calcifications in 65% of patients with lipodermatosclerosis, which were either punctate-type calcifications or merged into conglomerates referred to by the authors as trabecular calcifications (10) . In their paper, the authors confirmed a large percentage of calcifications in patients with advanced CVI, which was also confirmed by HFU.…”

Imaging Features of Soft-Tissue Calcifications and Related Diseases: A Systematic Approach

“…Two patterns of calcification are encountered on plain radiographs: punctate and trabecular/reticular types ( Fig. 3 ) ( 7 ). The incidence of calcification correlates with disease duration and severity.…”

“…The incidence of calcification correlates with disease duration and severity. Patients with longer disease duration present primarily with the trabecular type ( 7 ). Besides, the presence of these calcification causes poor wound healing.…”