I have seen two different doctors for my ankles and shins, one of them diagnosed me with hemosiderosis and venous insufficiency. The other said I had Stasis dermititis. Should I see another doctor. They said there is nothing that can be done.
These are basically identical diagnoses and there is almost always something that can be done. If your saphenous vein is refluxing, look towards Endovenous Ablation. If you have open perforator veins in the area, look towards ultrasound guided sclerotherapy. If none of these are present, find a good pair of below-knee compression stockings.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
You should see a vein specialist to see if any of the venous insufficiency is in the superficial veins which can sometimes be treated to improve your situation.
David A. Engleman M.D.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Venous insufficiency is probably the cause of both your stasis dermatitis
and hemosiderosis. Once your venous insufficiency is treated, the other
conditions MAY get somewhat better over time. if not treated they will
probably get worse and may even progress to skin ulceration.
Raffi Dishakjian, M.D
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If you have venous insufficiency, there are non-invasive procedures that can halt the problem. An ultrasound will make the diagnosis. I recommend visiting a vein specialist.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
The brownish discoloration that occurs around the ankle and lower tibial area is due to hemosiderin deposits which are a result of blood cell breakdown due to venous hypertension. This is called venous stasis which leads to stasis dermatitis. You do not need to see another doctor but you should see a vein specialist for evaluation of valvular insufficiency.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Interesting, your doctors are saying the same but making you dizzy with the terminology. Stasis dermatitis is a consequence of venous insufficiency. Hemosiderosis is usually a term that is not applied to these conditions, it is the abnormal deposition of iron in certain tissues like liver, heart, skin, etc.
Stasis dermatitis shows that purple-red color because of the deposition of iron in the skin due to the poor circulation. It is almost always associated with venous disease.
You need a vein doctor (Phlebologist)
Dr Farhy
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It's difficult to say without seeing the areas.
What type of doctors were they? Specialist or primary care?
Did you have an ultrasound performed to assess venous insufficiency? If so, was it deep or superficial vein insufficiency?
I would recommend you see a physician who is a vascular or venous surgeon with experience in these problems.
At the very least, if there are no arterial problems, we would recommend compression hose. These should be measured and fitted to your legs.
Norman N. Bein MD FACS
Published on Jul 11, 2012
See an experienced phlebologist.
Stephen F. Daugherty, MD, FACS, RVT, RPhS
Published on Jul 11, 2012