Erythromelalgia Misdiagnosed as Cellulitis
This case report examines the presentation of a patient with erythromelalgia that was misdiagnosed as cellulitis on several prior occasions. The presentation of bilateral acral edema and erythema, especially in the setting of myeloproliferative and/or connective tissue diseases, should alert the physician to the possibility of alternate diagnoses, including erythromelalgia. Treatments target symptom alleviation, as well as diagnosis and treatment of causative factors.
Erythromelalgia is a difficult diagnosis to make and often is a difficult disease for the patient to endure. Special care should be taken by the clinician to search for an underlying disorder when this diagnosis is made and during follow-up. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause, if discernible, and at the symptomatic relief of the patient. Prognosis is mixed; approximately the same number of individuals will improve, remain stable, or worsen, even with referral to a large tertiary care setting with multiple resources.1
