April 12, 2001
Other Illnesses
Question from San Diego, California, USA:
I am a 23 female who does not have diabetes (I get my blood checked every six months), but my dermatologist has diagnosed necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum on both my ankles. I have done a bit of research, and I agree with his diagnosis, and I am anxious to do any treatment he recommends. We’ve tried topical creams, steroid injection and now we are moving on to pentoxifylline and then maybe to a six week course of oral steroids. Do I need to get a second opinion on the diagnosis and/or treatments of my NLD?
Answer:
Unfortunately, I am not able to confirm the appearance of this condition by e-mail. It sounds like your physician has treated you with the usual agents for this problem. Part of the answer to your question lies within. If you feel uncomfortable, especially with future treatments having more side effects, perhaps a referral would be helpful. Otherwise, the failure of the earlier treatments sounds like it necessitates more aggressive therapy.
JTL
