An area of mottled skin developed on the back of a 55-year-old woman who has had arthritis for several years. She often applied a heating pad to her middle and lower back for relief from arthritic pain.
An area of mottled skin developed on the back of a 55-year-old woman who has had arthritis for several years. She often applied a heating pad to her middle and lower back for relief from arthritic pain.
Dr Reynold C. Wong of Sacramento, Calif, writes that the distinctive, reticulated pattern with hyperpigmentation is characteristic of erythema ab igne. The very frequent and long-term use of a hot pad provoked the skin disorder.
This patient followed medical advice and gave up using the heating pad. Over the course of several months, the color of the reticulated pattern faded, but some of the hyperpigmentation persisted.
Squamous cell carcinoma is a rare sequela of erythema ab igne.
Primary Viewpoints Episode 7: Antidepressants for Back Pain, Osteoarthritis Pain
February 25th 2021Listen to our newest podcast episode where the lead author of a recent meta-analysis shares his findings on the safety and efficacy of antidepressant medications to treat back and osteoarthritis pain.
Podcast: Arthritis, Anxiety, and Depression: Managing a Common Comorbidity
May 14th 2012Anxiety is even more common than depression among people who have arthritis, a new study has shown. Here to discuss the implications for diagnosis and treatment is Eilzabeth Lin MD, a family medicine physician who is a longstanding researcher in the field of depression and pain.