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| Screen shot of Embarrassing bodies, screened 9pm 26th March 2012. Venous Eczema "treated" with steroid cream - but patient told it is due ot venous circulation and not offered a cure!! See www.venouseczema.co.uk |
On Embarrassing Bodies - screened last night at 9pm - a patient was seen by one of the GP's with venous eczema of his leg.
He was correctly told that he had venous eczema and that this was due to "poor circulation" of his venous system - a simplified explanation of Venous Reflux or "hidden varicose veins".
However, despite the correct diagnosis and also the correct understanding of the cause being the underlying veins, the GP then suggested a treatment to help the skin (steroid cream) ..... but did absolutely nothing to correct the underlying "poor venous circulation" (the Venous Reflux or "hidden varicose veins").
As such, this patient will get a temporary improvement of the eczema, which will all come back again, and nothing to help the Venous Reflux as his leg deteriorates towards a venous leg ulcer.
The correct treatment would have been to refer the patient for a specialised venous duplex ultrasound scan, to find out which veins are causing the problem, and then to treat them under local anaesthetic by the most appropriate technique using The Whiteley Protocol.
This would have resulted in the venous eczema disappearing, the brown stains starting to fade, and the pateint's leg would be less swollen and would continue to deteriorate.
As it has been left, this poor man my have a temporary relief from his eczema, but his leg will continue to deteriorate, get more brown and swollen ans eventually ulcerate.
For more information see: www.venouseczema.co.uk
To understand Venous Reflux and how it causes venous eczema and leg ulcers see "Understanding Venous Reflux"
