REPORT OF A CASE
A 68-year-old man presented to the emergency room at St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, St Paul, Minn, in June 1986 for evaluation of tender nodules on the right thigh. A single nodule, first noted one month earlier, had continued to enlarge and was followed by the appearance of other similar nodules.The patient's medical history was remarkable for adult-onset diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, venous insufficiency, and bilateral above-knee amputation. The amputation of the right leg was performed one year prior to development of the current lesions.Physical examination revealed several 0.5- to 1.0-cm tender, firm purple nodules on the anterior aspect of the right thigh that later turned black (Fig 1). There was no associated lymphadenopathy or clinically evident stump edema. There was no increased warmth or erythema of the surrounding skin.The results of pertinent laboratory studies performed at this time were as follows: