Chilblains

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Background

  • Mild but uncomfortable inflammatory lesions of skin
    • Caused by long-term intermittent exposure to damp, nonfreezing ambient temperatures
  • Primarily a disease of women and children

Clinical Features

  • Hands, ears, lower legs, feet most commonly affected
  • Symptoms
    • Tingling, numbness, pruritus, burning paresthesias
    • Cutaneous manifestations appear up to 12hr after acute exposure:
    • Localized edema, erythema, cyanosis, plaques, nodules
      • May progress in rare cases to ulcerations, vesicles, and bullae
    • Rewarming may result in formation of tender blue nodules which may persist for days

Treatment

  • Affected skin should be rewarmed, gently bandaged, and elevated
  • Nifedipine 20mg PO TID may be helpful as both prophylactic and therapeutic tx
  • Topical corticosteroids and oral steroid burst have been shown to be useful

See Also

Cold Injuries (Non-Freezing)