Many people have experience leg pain at night. The most common problem are muscle cramps. There are many theories as to the source of night leg cramps. But, science has not agreed on a cause. There is also a debate about best treatment strategies. There are cramp remedies aimed at prevention, and others that aim…
A key insight into the etiology of a leg ulcer can be garnered from observing the ulcer’s distribution. The three most typical ulcers that are seen in clinical practice are of arterial, venous and neuropathic etiologies. Arterial ulcers typically arise on the toe tips, heels and anterior shins. Venous ulcers usually arise at the gaiter…
Here we go again. Four years have come and gone and the London Olympics are about to kick off in a few short hours. The 2012 London Olympics will bring together athletes from all over the world to compete. Some will leave with a bag full of medals and the adulation of their countrymen, while…
Splinter hemorrhages are deep seated, often painful black lines that present under the nails. Patients that present with splinter hemorrhages mandate particular attention. They can look like black spots on toes. But, the differential diagnosis is not that different from that of blue toes. The causes for splinter hemorrhages First, not all splinter hemorrhages are…
Swollen feet in the summer are very common. The good new is there is actually a lot you can do about them. But, some of the solutions are not always practical. For instance, one of the solutions for swollen feet in the summer are compression stockings. The problem? It turns out that these are especially…
Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) has been long neglected. But fibromuscular dysplasia is probably a very common condition. According to some reports, the prevalence of fibromuscular dysplasia is as high as 5% in the population. But we know embarrassingly little about this condition. Therefore, in 2009 a United States National fibromuscular dysplasia registry has been put into…
Rooke Boots were developed in the mid 1980’s when the vascular team at Mayo Clinic would apply large bulky dressings to the lower extremity to prevent heat loss and promote the vasodilatory cascade i.e. the limb would be a bit warmer, which would promote greater vasodilatation. Dr Thom Rooke came up with the idea that…
Blue or black toes are common in the ICU. In this context, we use the term “black” and “blue” interchangeably. This is because dark blue can seem almost black at times. The differential diagnosis for a blue toe or black toe in the ICU is complex. For this reason we have chosen to write a…
Vasospastic disorders are a group of vascular diseases which present with episodic cyanosis of the extremities. They are classically related to cold exposure. Vasospastic disorders include Raynaud’s phenomena, acrocyanosis and livedo reticularis. Both Raynaud’s phenomena and acrocyanosis may affect the upper and lower extremity digits, nose, ears and even the nipples. The following figure is…
Some forms of vascular disease are affected by temperature. Cold weather brings more severe Raynaud’s phenomena and pernio. Other vascular diseases are also more severe during winter. There are not many vascular diseases that are worse in the summer. Nevertheless, these conditions do exist. This article will outline conditions seen more commonly in the vascular…
