This rather attractive image shows a skin disorder called "Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum" (NLD) which I have got on my legs. Here comes the lengthy 'blurb' about what it is.......
NLD is a very uncommon condition and many healthcare professionals may never have seen it before. It is an inflammatory condition in which shiny, red-brown or yellowish areas (lesions) develop in the skin, usually on the shins.
Only one in three hundred diabetics have necrobiosis lipoidica. It is three times as common in women as in men.
NLD follows damage to the fibres that give the skin its strength (collagen fibres). Some think that this is due to changes in the small blood vessels of the skin.
It is not contagious or cancerous, but there is a small risk of skin cancer developing.
Usually there are no symptoms apart from the rather unsightly appearance of the discoloured areas. However, the skin in areas of NLD is often very thin, and painful ulcers are not uncommon, especially after minor knocks. When ulcers develop, they can take a long time to heal.
Patches of NLD usually start as one or more small, red, slightly raised areas on one or both shins. Much less often, similar areas may develop on other parts of the legs. These lesions grow slowly and may join up to form larger, flatter, irregularly-shaped areas, usually with a well-defined, red border and a shiny, yellowish centre, with visible blood vessels.
Unfortunately, there is no effective cure for NLD. With time, the inflammation gradually improves, leaving scarred skin, which is permanent.
Treatment results are unpredictable and sometimes disappointing. Injections of steroid into the inflamed parts of necrobiosis lipoidica can bsometimes help. Strong steroid creams or ointments, sometimes covered by a plastic film, may help areas that are spreading.
So there you go......now you have the answer to why I NEVER get my legs out!!!! He he he!!! :o)
I had absolutely no idea Diabetes had so many other things linked in with it your blog is brilliant! I hope it helps you.
ReplyDeleteAnna x
Thanks Anna!! I really appreciate you taking the time to read it and your comments are gratefully received!! x :o)
ReplyDeleteHi, Great post... I have NL but not NLD as i'm not Diabetic so it's not just Diabetics who get this :) I have 3 lesions on my right shin which I try very hard to avoid trauma because I don't want it to ulcerate :(
ReplyDeleteI have to be tested for Diabetes regulary, But it's great to see you posting this ... It needs more recognigtion :)
Hi. I have NLD too. I've had it for around 18 years. I just started treatment with a dermatologist who is doing Photodynamic Therapy. I've had 8 sessions now and I've seen good results. There is definite healing and fading of the lesions. Ask your dermatologist to try it. I'm going to keep having the PDT sessions, as many as it takes, to see if they will completely disappear.
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