Livedo Reticularis

[anita]

I'm curious how many people have livedo Reticularis?  I have both Sjogren's and APS and this rash can be associated with either one.  Let me know if you have it, and where it appears.  It is most typically on the legs.  Mine started that way, but over recent years has spread to cover legs, arms and both sides of the torso.  It doesn't hurt or itch, but there is nothing to make it go away.  It must not be very common (at least to the extent I have it), because doctors are in awe when they do an exam...then call other docs in for a look.

Anita

[jaygee]

Hi Anita

I have this.  It's mainly on the inside of my arms and on the back of my hands.  I find it quite embarassing as I worry people will notice it and so I tend not to wear short sleeves any longer.  I also have very shiny red skin around each of my finger nails and the palms of my hands go very red quite often.

The rheumy noticed the LR  on my first visit to him and to be honest, I wouldn't have mentioned it, I just thought it was "me".  He was quite concerned as it was a very warm day and apparently it doesn't show as much when you are warm.  Mine is very obvious.  He checked me out for APS and I'm negative for that, but hey I'm sero negative for everything 

Oh, yes I get it on my legs too, but they are mostly covered up with trousers, so I forget about that!

Do you have Reynaud's too?  This also makes my hands go peculiar colours 

[anita]

Yes Jaygee, I have been told I have reynaud's.  I only notice slight color changes, but I find it very painful even to hold something from the freezer for a minute.  I wonder if the color change is effected by the very, very pronounced LR.

[Patze]

I have Livedo Reticulitis, and it comes on mainly when I'm cold, then the lovely pattern can be found everywhere (and the rheumy is the one that diagnosed).  I also have Raynaud's and I don't know if there's a connection or not, but I'd be interested to see if there's been a study done.


Patze

[babycakes]

hi there

i have this also, mine is very noticable on my palms and when there is  switch of temperature my palms go blotchy and sometimes bright red.  i dont have it on any other parts of my body yet and i have been tests for aps which was negative.

I have problems with my hands, they swell in the heat and turn blue in the cold and are sometimes quite painful.  The rheumie mentioned it but didnt say anything other than to try and keep hands warm in the cold weather.

[inga]

Ditto, they told me I have it when I went for a consult to Hopkins. It isn't really a 'rash' per say...it is under the skin, blood vessels, from what I gather.  I am negative for SSA and SSB, (so far)  but very highly + ANA (speckled/nucleolar) for years now.  No rhyme or reason to AI disease.

[anita]

You're right Inga, it's not really a "rash", but have heard it referred to as that due to it's visible appearance on the skin.  it was actually my doctor at Johns Hopkins that told me of the association to AI diseases...in particular, APS due to the blood pooling under the skin.  He also said many of his Sjogren's patients have it as well, usually just the legs though.

Lupus has the trademark butterfly rash on their face, so I was curious whether more people out there with Sjogren's or APS have LR.  Seems like it may be more common than I thought.  I've never actually seen anyone with it and mine is so pronounced (everywhere), the doctors go get their colleagues to look at mine during exam.  Good to hear I'm not alone on this one.

[inga]

I have LR on my hands and arms as well as legs....and I have a facial rash....then again, I have lupus markers too.  I don't think autoimmune diseases are easily distinguished and I think very few "pure" forms of any one disease exist.