Heinz-Lippmann disease as an underrecognized cause of chronic venous insufficiency-associated cutaneous ulcers: Clinical and imaging findings

Abstract

Venous insufficiency is a frequent cause of consultation in primary care settings. Heterotopic ossification, consisting of an abnormal formation of true bone in extraskeletal soft tissues, is an underrecognized complication of chronic venous insufficiency that may cause torpid ulcers. We report a case of 78-year-old woman, with a long-standing history of venous insufficiency and tibial fracture, showing a non-healing ulcer associated with subcutaneous calcifications of the left lower extremity. Gold standard of imaging diagnosis are both plain radiographs and computed tomography but also magnetic resonance imaging could be useful for assessing the characteristics of the pathology. We describe a case of Heinz-Lippmann disease, diagnosed by using both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Keywords: Computed tomography (CT); Heterotopic ossification; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Skin; Ulcer; Venous insufficiency.