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CASE REPORT
Efficacy of new low-dose oral anticoagulants in recalcitrant livedoid vasculopathy
  1. Fumina Furukawa,
  2. Megumi Mizawa,
  3. Teruhiko Makino,
  4. Tadamichi Shimizu
  1. Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
  1. Correspondence to Dr Megumi Mizawa, megumiza{at}med.u-toyama.ac.jp

Summary

Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is a thrombotic skin disease characterised by recurrent painful ulcerations and irreversible scar formation on the lower legs, which is caused by occlusion of the cutaneous microcirculation. Edoxaban is one of new oral anticoagulants. It directly inhibits factor Xa in the coagulation pathway and prevents thrombus formation. A 17-year-old Japanese male presented with a 1-year history of recalcitrant cutaneous ulcers and livedo racemosa on his lower extremities. Initially, the ulcers were treated with antiplatelets therapies; however, he experienced recurrence of ulcerations during summer time. A histological examination revealed dermal vessel thrombosis consistent with occlusive vasculopathy. These findings were diagnostic for LV. The patient was treated with oral low-dose edoxaban (15 mg/day). The skin ulcers were epithelised and livedo racemosa disappeared within 8 weeks. We herein report the successful treatment of recalcitrant LV with low-dose edoxaban in a patient with no identifiable coagulopathy.

  • dermatology
  • skin

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Footnotes

  • Contributors All authors had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design: FF, MM and TM. Acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data: All authors. Drafting of the manuscript: MM, TM and TS. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Furukawa and Makino. Administrative, technical or material support: TM and TS. Study supervision: TS.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.