Most patients experience partial or complete recovery. Photograph of posterior lower extremities shows hypopigmentation, induration, biopsy site and asymmetric involvement. Photograph of posterior thigh shows woody induration, sclerosis and hypopigmentation. Close-up photograph of left posterior thigh 2 weeks later shows erythema, scaling, alopecia and rippled induration. Posterior calf in first week of illness presents with erythema, edema, alopecia, scaling and early induration.
Right calf is relatively uninvolved with patchy erythema only.
Photograph of posterior calf at 3 weeks shows complete sclerosis and induration with patchy erythema. Note the marked thickening and replacement of entire dermis with sclerotic collagen on this photomicrograph of an incisional biopsy from the left posterior thigh. Photomicrograph of subcutaneous fat-fascia junction shows entrapment of subcutaneous fat by intersecting thick bands of fibrosis. Thickening and fibrosis of fascia and lymphoid aggregates are seen. Photomicrograph of fascia-skeletal muscle junction shows markedly thickened fascia with heavy inflammatory infiltration.