Lipodermatosclerosis - report of three cases and review of the literature

We report 3 cases of lipodermatosclerosis (LDS) and discuss the nosology of similar disorders caused by venous insufficiency of the legs. These cases are characterized by (1) occurrence in middle-aged or aged woman, (2) painful, indurated erythema with hyperpigmented scleroderma-like hardening on the lower leg, (3) lobular panniculitis with membranocystic fat necrosis and various degrees of septal fibrosis. Although the designation LDS has been used particularly in the UK and in the USA, this entity is not familiar in other countries including Japan. LDS clinically represents a wide spectrum from an acute, inflammatory phase to a chronic, fibrotic state. The clinicopathologic findings of LDS are similar or identical to the disease previously reported as chronic indurated cellulitis, hypodermitis sclerodermiformis, stasis panniculitis or sclerosing panniculitis. These diseases are probably related conditions, which depend upon the various stages.