Livedoid Vasculopathy (LV,) otherwise known as Atrophie Blanche is a rare and painful condition involving skin discoloration and ulceration. It is most commonly located in the lower limbs and most commonly affects middle aged women. It is accepted that LV results from poor circulation caused by the blockage or failure of veins (venous insufficiency.) There are published cases in the literature that show pain relief and healing of wounds in LV by using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT.) Oceanside Hyperbaric has has similar results with our clients.
This article describes a man and a woman who utilized HBOT 6 days a week, 60-minutes per session at 2.5 atmospheres absolute. They achieved pain reduction first and then complete wound closure at 25 and 30 sessions respectively.
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This article provides a comprehensive explanation of the disease and the various treatment options that have been successful in its treatment. They conclude that the treatment options listed (including HBOT) in this article should be considered despite the fact that there are relatively few high quality (expensive) research studies supporting their use.
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It has been reported by Wolcott et al. that problem wounds have a biofilm component. This is the main reason for the regular debridement of wounds in standard wound care. Physical removal of the infected surface of problem wounds is one of the only effective ways to remove the biofilm infection. Biofilm is a multi-kingdom form that bacteria can take in the body, that are strongly antibiotic and immune resistant. It is believed that the chronicity of many infections can be attributed to this bacterial form. HBOT has been shown to be a effective potentiator of antibiotics in many biofilm infections, it remains to be seen if HBOT has a direct anti-biofilm effect. For more information visit our biofilm page.
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