Stasis dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease that occurs on the lower extremities. It’s a skin sign of chronic venous insufficiency with venous hypertension and may be a precursor to more problematic conditions, such as venous leg ulceration.
The most common manifestation of stasis dermatitis is the development of brown changes in the skin at the inner aspect of the ankle. These changes will worsen over time and may eventually result in open poorly-healing wounds called Venous Stasis Ulcers.
Skin changes usually take many years to develop and may start as hard to notice Ankle Discoloration. patients may be treated for years with creams and salves which do not solve the problem. The underlying cause of stasis dermatitis is vein disease.
Female vs. Male Demographics
A slight female preponderance has been reported in stasis dermatitis. This is most likely due to the fact that pregnancy results in significant stress on the lower-extremity venous system, with many women experiencing earlier and more severe derangement of lower-extremity valvular function.
Who is at Risk for Statis Dermatitis?
The risk of developing stasis dermatitis steadily increases with each passing decade; when considering only adults older than 70 years, the prevalence of stasis dermatitis may be greater than 20%. The well-publicized aging of the population will undoubtedly result in a significant increase in cases of stasis dermatitis over the next few decades.
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The key to treatment of stasis dermatitis is to treat the underlying vein disease. Elastic compression, elevating the legs when at rest, avoidance of prolonged sitting and standing are all helpful measures. When one must sit or stand, repetitive ankle exercises are beneficial. For the same reason, exercise such as walking or running is helpful.
Patients with stasis dermatitis should by an experienced phlebologist with the aid of a properly performed ultrasound examination.
