Severity Stratification by Compression Ultrasound Examination in Lipodermatosclerosis and Diabetic Dermopathy Patients: a Report of Three Cases

Lipodermatosclerosis and diabetic dermopathy are low-risk skin lesions with many similar clinical features, except for venous abnormalities such as chronic venous insufficiency, but are rarely a reason for referring the patient to vascular ultrasound examination. We present 3 serial cases in which the compression ultrasound examination (CUS) of the venous circulation of the affected limbs was of utmost importance in the severity stratification. Asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was found in the first two cases, while in the third case the CUS excluded any type of vascular involvement, leading to a definite diagnosis of diabetic dermopathy. Lipodermatosclerosis may be associated with asymptomatic DVT due to chronic venous insufficiency, and early referral to CUS positively impacts further patient management.