Perniosis

Diagnosis is clinical, although microscopic study of a biopsy sample can be useful in specific circumstances. Perniosis should be distinguished from other, very different processes that may nevertheless cause lesions with a similar appearance. Among these are chilblain lupus, which still lacks a precise definition and is difficult to distinguish from idiopathic perniosis. Treatment is disappointing and is essentially based on topical corticosteroids and oral calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine and felodipine