[Necrobiosis lipoidica without diabetes mellitus (diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities)].

The goal of the present study was to follow the clinical behaviour of 6 non diabetic patients (5 females and 1 male, aged 23-68) suffering from necrobiosis lipoidica. Thickening of the basalmembrane of capillaries could be confirmed by electron microscopy, although the histological structure of skin alterations are not different from those observed in diabetes mellitus. Three patients (2 females and one male) showed impaired glucose tolerance, 2 other patients had increased levels of total cholesterol, whereas one patient suffered from both metabolic disturbances. After treatment with ASA (acetylsalicylic acid, 1.0 g/day) and dipyridamole (200 mg/day) for six weeks, the decrease of platelet in vitro aggregation in platelet rich plasma could be observed by stimulation with arachidonic acid, epinephrine, ADP and collagen, respectively. Healing of the exulceration of skin lesion could be detected by the use of the combined treatment of ASA and dipyridamole in 4 cases.