Update on clinical and laboratory features in necrobiosis lipoidica: a retrospective multicentre study of 52 patients

Necrobiosis Lipoidica: A Descriptive Study of 35 Cases

“…3,4 However, DM preceded NL in only 11% in a study published in 1999 5 and in 46% in a more recent study performed in Germany. 6 Our findings confirm the results obtained in the oldest series, with a global incidence of 65.71%. Although the risk of developing DM after diagnosis of NL has been estimated at 6%, 5 none of the patients in our study developed DM during follow-up.…”

“…11 A recent study showed the presence of thyroid dysfunction in 13% of 52 cases of NL, while the estimated prevalence in the general population is 5.5%. 6 Although 6 patients in our study (17%) had hypothyroidism, this association may be due to the cooccurrence of autoimmune thyroid disease and type 1 DM, since 4 of the 6 patients also had type 1 DM.…”

“…The most frequently administered treatment was topical 0.05% clobetasol propionate on the active border of the lesions but not in the atrophic center (14 cases). Intralesional infiltrations of triamcinolone acetonide (6) were also applied, as were topical tacrolimus (6) and phototherapy (3). Oral medication included pentoxifylline (11), ciclosporin (2 [because of ulcerated lesions in 1]), doxycycline (1), acetylsalicylic acid (1), and hydroxychloroquine (4).…”

Necrobiosis Lipoidica

“…According to published literature, with small center studies, there is a predominance in females affected by the disease. 2,[4][5][6][7] A study performed by Erfurt-Berge and colleagues 5 in 52 patients with NL found 77% of those affected to be female. This statistic coincides with previous studies that reported a female predominance.…”

“…The likelihood of ulceration in NL lesions has been difficult to determine, with the literature reporting a range of 15% to 35% after an inciting incident of trauma. 2,5,8 The pathogenesis of NL has been speculated for many years with no definitive answer to date. Elements of vascular disturbance involving immune complex deposition or microangiopathic changes leading to collagen degeneration have been the most common theories.…”