Schamberg disease

Schamberg's disease, (also known as 'progressive pigmentary dermatosis of Schamberg', 'purpura pigmentosa progressiva' (PPP), and 'Schamberg's purpura') is a chronic discoloration of the skin found in people of all ages, usually only affecting the feet, legs or thighs or a combination. It may occur as a single event or subsequent bouts may cause further spread. It is most common in males.:829 It is named after Jay Frank Schamberg, who described it in 1901. There is no known cure for this disease but it is not a life-threatening condition and is mainly of cosmetic concern, although, because it can appear so suddenly, so extensively and because it usually leaves permanent discoloration of the skin, it can cause understandable psychological concern. The skin lesions sometimes cause itching, which can be treated by applying cortisone cream. The cortisone cream will only help with the itching and does not improve the discoloration of the skin. Schamberg's disease causes no other symptoms beside skin discoloration and itching. The condition is caused by inflammation of capillaries near the surface of skin and subsequent leaking of red blood cells into surrounding tissues. As the red blood cells break down and get mostly resorbed, some of the iron released by the red blood cells remains in the skin and causes the characteristic rust-colored appearance. The cause of the capillary inflammation is usually unknown. Schamberg's disease, (also known as 'progressive pigmentary dermatosis of Schamberg', 'purpura pigmentosa progressiva' (PPP), and 'Schamberg's purpura') is a chronic discoloration of the skin found in people of all ages, usually only affecting the feet, legs or thighs or a combination. It may occur as a single event or subsequent bouts may cause further spread. It is most common in males.:829 It is named after Jay Frank Schamberg, who described it in 1901. There is no known cure for this disease but it is not a life-threatening condition and is mainly of cosmetic concern, although, because it can appear so suddenly, so extensively and because it usually leaves permanent discoloration of the skin, it can cause understandable psychological concern. The skin lesions sometimes cause itching, which can be treated by applying cortisone cream. The cortisone cream will only help with the itching and does not improve the discoloration of the skin. Schamberg's disease causes no other symptoms beside skin discoloration and itching. The condition is caused by inflammation of capillaries near the surface of skin and subsequent leaking of red blood cells into surrounding tissues. As the red blood cells break down and get mostly resorbed, some of the iron released by the red blood cells remains in the skin and causes the characteristic rust-colored appearance. The cause of the capillary inflammation is usually unknown. The lesions are most frequent on the lower limbs, but may occur anywhere on the body, including the hands, arms, torso and even the neck. They may vary in number and erupt in mass numbers.They consist of irregular patches of orange or brown pigmentation with characteristic 'cayenne pepper' spots appearing within and at the edge of old lesions. There are usually no symptoms, although there may be some slight itching, but there is no pain. The eruption may persist for many years. The pattern of the eruption changes, with slow extension and often some clearing of the original lesions. Schamberg's disease, or progressive pigmented purpuric dermatosis, is a chronic discoloration of the skin which usually affects the legs and often spreads slowly. This disease is more common in males and may occur at any age from childhood onward. This condition is observed worldwide and has nothing to do with race or ethnic background. Schamberg's disease is caused by leaky blood vessels near the surface of the skin, capillaries, which allow red blood cells to slip through into the skin. The red blood cells in the skin then fall apart and release their iron, which is released from hemoglobin. The iron causes a rust color and this accounts for the orange tint of the rash. Although the underlying cause for the leaky blood vessels is almost always unknown, researchers suggest some potential triggers. These include the body's inflammatory reaction to some agent, such as a viral infection or a prescription or over the counter medication or supplement, such as thiamine and aspirin. Even though there is no correlation with genetics, there have been a few cases where few people in a family had this condition. Although a definite cause for capillary inflammation is almost always unknown, certain preventive measures can be taken. Doctors may prescribe medications that enhance the circulation of blood, which can keep blood vessels strong and healthy. Schamberg's disease is a skin disorder that causes a discoloration of the lower extremities. It manifests in the lower extremities and it gradually moves up towards anywhere on the body. This condition is caused by leaky blood vessels near the surface of the skin. The cause of the leaky capillaries is still unknown, but it is responsible for the discoloration of the skin. Since the blood vessels are weakened, red blood cells escape the blood vessels, where they end up near the surface of the skin. In one molecule of hemoglobin, there are four heme groups and each heme group contains one iron atom. Iron is responsible for helping red blood cells transfer oxygen from the lungs to the cells and carry carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs. When red blood cells escape the blood vessels, red blood cells break apart, releasing hemoglobin. As the hemoglobin has nowhere to go and cannot be reabsorbed back into the blood, it will break apart. Iron is released from hemoglobin and deposited into the skin. The iron complex hemosiderin is responsible for the discoloration of the skin, which creates patches of orange and brown pigmentation.