WELLS SYNDROME

Course overview

WELLS SYNDROME IS CHARACTERIZED BY SUDDEN ONSET OF LARGE, INFLAMED, EDEMATOUS PATCHES THAT ARE OFTEN COVERED WITH VESICLES OR BULLAE; TYPICALLY, THE ERUPTION IS PRECEDED BY SENSATIONS OF ITCHING OR BURNING. THE LESIONS MAY OR MAY NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW FEVER, AND LESIONS ARE PREFERENTIALLY LOCATED ON THE TRUNK AND THE EXTREMITIES. IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE INITIAL ERUPTION, THE LESIONS EVOLVE, DEMONSTRATING AN EXTENSION OF THE PATCHES, WHICH TAKE AN ANNULAR CONFIGURATION, WITH THE CENTER HEALING WHILE THE BORDER BECOMES PURPLE. INFLAMMATORY SIGNS REGRESS WITHIN ABOUT 10 DAYS WHILE THE PLAQUES BECOME INDURATED AND PATIENTS TYPICALLY RECOVER COMPLETELY AND SKIN APPEARS NORMAL WITHIN 4 TO 6 WEEKS. RECURRENCE IS THE RULE, WITH VARIABLE LOCATIONS, AND THE PERIOD BETWEEN RECURRENCES VARIES FROM MONTHS TO SEVERAL YEARS; HOWEVER, THE PROGNOSIS REMAINS GOOD WITH LONG-TERM RECOVERY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF WELLS SYNDROME AND ADDRESSES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THIS CONDITION.