Ulcerating stasis dermatitis of the forearm due to arteriovenous fistula: A case report and review of the published work

Abstract

Stasis ulcers of the upper limbs are rare, and only 30 cases have been reported, all of which were due to rheological abnormalities. A 59-year-old woman sustained an injury to her right upper limb, resulting in incomplete transections of the brachial artery and the brachial vein. Emergent reconstruction of the brachial artery was performed. Raynaud's phenomenon was observed postoperatively, followed by extreme edema, eczematization and the development of ulcers on the forearm. She was referred to our hospital for treatment. 3-D computed tomography (CT) revealed end-to-end anastomosis of the brachial artery and the brachial vein. An additional brachial-radial artery bypass and closure of the anastomosis dramatically improved her skin symptoms. Vascular anomalies including surgery should be suspected when patients present with stasis dermatitis of the upper limbs.