Chronic Leg Ulcers: Joan’s Painful Journey to Diagnosis and Relief

Jordan Pysz / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Joan reports that her legs “look and feel wonderful” thanks to Dr. Jackson’s care.

Image Courtesy Associates in Dermatology
Joan’s leg before treatment, after one week of treatments, and 6 weeks after treatments.

During the summer of 2021, a number of open sores appeared on both of Joan Clifford’s legs. By winter, the sores were infected, so Joan visited her primary care physician. “My primary prescribed a couple of rounds of antibiotics, but that didn’t help,” Joan recalls. “She then sent me to a wound care center, where I was treated for four months. They got the wounds under control, but while we were moving from Arizona to Florida, the sores reappeared. “My legs were covered with ulcers, which were extremely painful. Taking a shower was like getting into a torture chamber. I would just scream because of the pain.” Following her arrival in Florida, Joan struggled to find a physician to take over her care. The primary care physician she chose wasn’t able to see her for four months. But the ulcers on her legs were so bad that she continued searching for providers. “Then my angel, Dr. Jackson, agreed to see me,” Joan shares. “He looked at my legs and suspected I had a condition called atrophie blanche.” John E. Jackson, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Associates in Dermatology. He took a biopsy of Joan’s legs and confirmed the diagnosis. “Atrophie blanche is a rare skin condition in which people develop painful lesions on their legs that leave white scars,” Dr. Jackson explains. “Nobody knows exactly what causes it, but there are a few theories. “Some experts believe it occurs when the person’s blood clots too easily and lesions form. Others believe it is caused by vascular spasms at the end of the arterial bloodline. These spasms cut off the blood supply to the skin, which causes tissue death and scarring.” Dr. Jackson further evaluated Joan’s condition to determine an appropriate treatment for it. “I began by performing a hypercoagulability study to determine if she had a disorder that causes her blood to clot too easily, but she did not,” the dermatologist expounds. “Next, I had her assessed for hyperbaric treatment, which involves spending time in a pressurized environment filled with pure oxygen that helps heal wounds. But the doctor said her condition was too extensive to benefit from that therapy.” Next, Dr. Jackson referred Joan to a specialist at the University of Miami for further evaluation and treatment. That physician prescribed stanozolol, a synthetic steroid that has been shown in studies to help atrophie blanche. “Ms. Clifford is now back under my care, and her treatment involves a combination of wound care management and continuing the stanozolol, and it is helping,” Dr. Jackson informs. “As a result, her condition has improved dramatically.” Joan has been able to resume her day-to-day activities without severe pain. “Right now, my legs look and feel wonderful,” Joan enthuses. “I only have two ulcers on my leg, one you can barely see and one that’s essentially stagnant, so it’s not getting better but it’s not getting worse. It’s just there. I can feel some pain if I’m walking around or if I touch the sore, but the pain is not nearly as bad as before. “Dr. Jackson is a special doctor, so caring and gentle and easy to work with. He’s the most wonderful doctor I’ve ever known.”

John Eric Jackson, MD, FAAD

Dermatology

Board-certified dermatologist John Jackson, MD, FAAD, is a skin cancer specialist with more than 15 years of experience.  In his Read more...

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