Rash on the thigh
The patient’s study habits led to the diagnosis in this case.
Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare necrotizing vasculitis of small and medium arteries with an incidence of 4 to 16 cases per million.4 It usually is painful and can present with nodules, ulcers, or bullae and may be associated with livedo-like reticulated pigmentation.
Livedoid vasculitis is a hyalinization of blood vessels leading to the obstruction of vessels due to a hypercoagulable state. It can be acquired or congenital and usually manifests in middle-aged women.4
Management is straight-forward: Remove the heat source
EAI typically is asymptomatic, although there are reports of mild pruritus or a burning sensation. Management includes withdrawal of the heat source and patient education. Our patient’s rash went away when she stopped resting her laptop computer on her lap.
CORRESPONDENCE
Lorraine C. Young, MD, 200 UCLA, Medical Plaza Driveway, Suites 450 & 465, Los Angeles, CA 90095; lcyoung@mednet.ucla.edu
