"Atrophie blanche [ . . . ] develops in certain conditions of the legs, mostly but not always in disorders of circulation; white patches of various sizes are encountered, mostly from the size of a pinhead up to a lentil or a bit more and, at first blush, one thinks of real scars." Milian, 1936 [9]

"Atrophie blanche enplaque is more a clinical than a pathologic entity. The microscopic observations in this cutaneous disorder cannot be considered pathognomonic. [ . . . ] Usually the atrophy is primary in that no known cutaneous inflammatory lesion precedes its appearance." Nelson, 1955 [12]

"We consider atrophie blanche a definite disease entity characterized by a spectrum of changes beginning with telangiectatic purpuric areas which undergo superficial necrosis and later heal with residual white atrophic scars." Gray et al., 1966 [25]

"Segmental hyalinizing vasculitis of the middle dermal vessels, which we have subtitled livedo vasculitis, is a vascular degenerative disease of unknown cause." Bard et al., 1967 [26]

"Livedoid vasculitis is a reaction pattern of the skin, sui generis." Winkelmann et al., 1974 [27]

"Atrophie blanche is not a disease but a symptom of different disorders. [ . . . ]Atrophie blanche (white atrophy) is a sign of dermal blood vessel occlusion." Stevanovic, 1974 [34]

"Hyalinizing segmental vasculitis or livedo vasculitis (atrophie blanche) is a clinical entity with a distinctive Immunohistopathologic morphology that can be distinguished from other forms of cutaneous vasculitis by histologic and direct immunofluorescent studies." Schroeter et al., 1975 [29]

"Just as there is both Raynaud"s disease and Raynaud"s phenomenon, so too is atrophie blanche a specific symptom complex or a disease and a nonspecific cutaneous physical sign." Stiefler, 1982 [35]

"Atrophie blanche usually appears as painful purpuric papules that evolve into ulcerations and finally, angular scars on the lower extremities." Milstone, 1983 [30]

"Idiopathic atrophie blanche (segmental hyalinizing vasculitis, livedo reticularis with summer ulcerations) is a chronic cutaneous disorder of young to middle aged women that is characterized by persistent painful leg ulcerations." Shornick, 1983 [36]

"Atrophie blanche and livedo vasculitis are synonyms with the same disease spectrum." Yang et al., 1991 [37]

"Atrophie blanche is simply a designation given to the end stage of a variety of ulcerative processes in which white atrophic scars are residua." Atrophie blanche? Ackerman AB et al., 1995 [38]

"Atrophie blanche is simply livedo vasculitis at a late stage in which the vasculitis has waned and consequent ulceration has been replaced by extensive sclerosis in the upper part of the dermis." Ackerman AB et al. 1997 [39]

"Livedo reticularis is persistent red-blue mottling of the skin in a netlike pattern. [ . . . ] It differs from cutis marmorata by not subsiding with warming of the skin. It may occur in association with a vasculitis or vasculopathy in the context of several different systemic or localized disease processes, such as infection, atrophie blanche, cholesterol emboli, and connective tissue disease." Barnhill RL et al., 1997 [40]

"Physiological livedo reticularis (synonym. Cutis marmorata). This physiological, mottled, cyanotic, transient reaction to cold may be seen in up to 50% of normal children and in some adults. [ . . . ] The diagnostic dividing line between this condition (physiological livedo reticularis) and idiopathic or primary livedo reticularis can be fine, and the two conditions may represent a spectrum of disease. [ . . . ] Acquired idiopathic livedo reticularis [ . . . ] predominantly occurs in young adults and middle aged females. [ . . . ] In the more severe cases, it is associated with ulceration, usually in winter, although sudden ulceration in summer can occur." Dowd PM, 1998 [41]

"Livedo reticularis is a transient mottling that is related to sluggish blood flow (from any causes) rather than a vascular structural abnormality. [ . . . ] Barnhill RE, 1998 [42]

"Livedo reticularis is persistent red-blue mottling of the skin in a net-like pattern. It is a nonspecific sign of sluggish blood flow from any cause. It differs from cutis marmorata by not subsiding with warming of the skin." Barnhill RE, 1998 [42]

"[Livedo vasculopathy] is clinically characterized by early, focal, painful purpuric lesions of the lower extremities that frequently ulcerate and slowly heal, leaving white, stellate, atrophic scars (atrophie blanche), telangiectasias, hemosiderinic livedo-like hyperpigmentation, and livedo racemosa." Papi et al., 1998 [33]

"Livedoid vasculopathy represents cutaneous vasculopathy characterized clinically by painful cutaneous ulcerations that generally occur on the lower extremities" Jorizzo JL, 1998 [32]

"Livedoid vasculopathy is characterized by recurrent painful ulceration of the feet, ankles and legs that heals with residual white atrophic scars." Boyvat et al., 2000 [34]

"There is no relationship between livedo vasculitis and livedo reticularis. The latter is not a vasculitis, but a kind of ectasia that does not change perceptibly in terms of its basic morphologic structure over time. The word 'livedo' shared by both conditions means a bruise-like discoloration of the skin." Ackerman AB, Kerl H, Sánchez J, et al, 2000 [44]

"Livedoid vasculitis is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent painful ulceration of the lower limbs, which heals to leave atrophie blanche surrounded by hyperpigmentation and telangiectasia" Ravat FE et al., 2002 [45]

"Atrophie blanche is characterized by the development of telangiectatic, purpuric papules and plaques leading to the formation of small crusted ulcers, which heal after many months to leave white atrophic stellate scars." Weedon D, 2002 [46]

"Livedo reticularis is due to generalized reduction of blood flow, usually consequent to functional disturbances (e.g., vasoconstriction in the cold). In contrast, livedo racemosa results from irregular, focal, persistent, and usually physical impairment of the blood flow, such as arterial occlusion in vasculitis, arteriosclerosis, and Sneddon syndrome. [ . . . ] Livedo racemosa consists of irregular, broken, circular segments, resulting in larger pattern than livedo reticularis. [ . . . ] it persists upon warming of the skin. There is progressive worsening course over several years, with a poorer prognosis than with most examples of livedo reticularis." Bolognia et al., 2003 [47]