Erythema Ab Igne is sometimes referred to as “Toasted skin syndrome” and is characterized by localized areas of widely spaced net-like pattern of redness (erythema) and increased pigmentation (also called, “hyperpigmentation"). This results from chronic exposure to heat (below the threshold for a thermal burn). It is commonly seen in the lumbosacral region when people use heating pads to relieve pain.
It was once more common when people stood near stoves to keep warm, but with the advent of central heating in much of the industrialized world there has been a dramatic decline in incidence. In the modern world, newer reports occurring from laptop computers or car seat heaters are on the rise.
Although the exact cause of this is unknown, the pattern corresponds with the dermal venous plexus (the veins in the skin). It starts with redness and leads to pigmentation. The lesions are almost always without symptoms (asymptomatic) although a slight burning sensation is sometimes reported. Treatment consists simply of removal of the offending heat source.
Follow David Robles, MD, PhD
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