From: Bev Hamilton on
http://walking.about.com/od/medhot/a/legrash.htm

The common heat leg rash now has a name

Go to any multi-day walking event in the summer and you will see it - a
red leg rash on the calves of many walkers. Often it starts above the
sock line and makes red patches and splotches up their calves. It
usually doesn't itch. We believe it is a heat-related leg rash as these
same walkers don't get it in cooler weather. What is it?

Golfer's Vasculitis

Ask most physicians about this common rash and they draw a blank. That
is probably due to few people seeking medical help for it. By the time
they got a doctor's appointment, it would have cleared up, as it
commonly goes away in a couple of days. At last, a paper in the
"Australasian Journal of Dermatology" has described it and proposed
naming it "Golfer's vasculitis."

Causes of the Heat Leg Rash

The research article said many people underwent extensive allergy
testing, believing they must be having a reaction to some chemical or
plant.
But it is simply an irritation of the blood vessels following prolonged
exercise in the heat, such as walking for extended periods or playing 18
holes of golf. It is more common in people over 50. In my experience,
walkers can't pinpoint anything new they used that may be causing a
reaction. And so many walkers have it that they couldn't all have
contacted the same irritant. The source is simply heat and age, your leg
blood vessels getting irritated from the heat.

Prevention

The research offered no treatment or prevention. It seems to occur in
healthy, active people and they suggest it should not be a health
concern. They recommend not getting allergy testing, etc.

Treatment

In my non-medical experience at Breast Cancer 3-Day Walks and walking
conventions, this rash appears on a vast range of walkers and commonly
goes away by itself after a few days. Pampering yourself after a good
day's long walk with a cool bath, sitting with your feet up, or using
cool wet towels on the rash areas may be relieving.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-0960.2005.00127.x

Australasian Journal of Dermatology
Volume 46 Issue 1 Page 11 - February 2005
To cite this article: Robert I Kelly, Jacinta Opie, Rosemary Nixon
(2005)
Golfer's vasculitis
Australasian Journal of Dermatology 46 (1), 11�14.
doi:10.1111/j.1440-0960.2005.00127.x

SUMMARY

A number of patients presented with an erythematous, purpuric rash
occurring on the legs in association with playing golf and also after
prolonged walks or hikes. Many patients believed that it was an allergic
reaction to grasses or insecticides and had sometimes undergone
extensive allergy testing. We collected reports of 17 such cases from
dermatologists in the state of Victoria, Australia. Patients were
interviewed by phone and asked to submit photographs of the rash if
possible. Of these, the eruption developed in 15 after playing 18 holes
of golf and in three following prolonged hikes. The rash would usually
develop over the summer months under hot conditions. Most patients were
over 50 years of age when the tendency to develop the eruption began.
Biopsies of the rash in the active phase showed leukocytoclastic
vasculitis. Patch testing and investigations for potential underlying
causes for vasculitis were negative or unremarkable. It would seem that
this is a common but poorly documented condition. The clinical
presentation and histology would support the conclusion that it
represents a leukocytoclastic vasculitis induced by prolonged exercise
under hot conditions. The findings would suggest that it occurs in
healthy people and extensive investigation with blood tests or allergy
testing is inappropriate. We believe the condition should be termed
'golfer's vasculitis', as golf appears to be the most common
precipitating event and such a term would enable the condition to become
more widely recognized.
From: Derek Janssen on
Bev Hamilton wrote:
> http://walking.about.com/od/medhot/a/legrash.htm
>
> The common heat leg rash now has a name
>
> Go to any multi-day walking event in the summer and you will see it - a
> red leg rash on the calves of many walkers. Often it starts above the
> sock line and makes red patches and splotches up their calves. It
> usually doesn't itch. We believe it is a heat-related leg rash as these
> same walkers don't get it in cooler weather. What is it?
>
> Golfer's Vasculitis
>
> Ask most physicians about this common rash and they draw a blank. That
> is probably due to few people seeking medical help for it. By the time
> they got a doctor's appointment, it would have cleared up, as it
> commonly goes away in a couple of days. At last, a paper in the
> "Australasian Journal of Dermatology" has described it and proposed
> naming it "Golfer's vasculitis."
>
> Causes of the Heat Leg Rash
>
> The research article said many people underwent extensive allergy
> testing, believing they must be having a reaction to some chemical or
> plant.
> But it is simply an irritation of the blood vessels following prolonged
> exercise in the heat, such as walking for extended periods or playing 18
> holes of golf. It is more common in people over 50. In my experience,
> walkers can't pinpoint anything new they used that may be causing a
> reaction. And so many walkers have it that they couldn't all have
> contacted the same irritant. The source is simply heat and age, your leg
> blood vessels getting irritated from the heat.

Heck, "tight socks" was my FIRST guess!

Derek Janssen
ejanss(a)comcast.net
From: Julie on


Bev Hamilton wrote:
> http://walking.about.com/od/medhot/a/legrash.htm
>
> The common heat leg rash now has a name
>
> Go to any multi-day walking event in the summer and you will see it - a
> red leg rash on the calves of many walkers. Often it starts above the
> sock line and makes red patches and splotches up their calves. It
> usually doesn't itch. We believe it is a heat-related leg rash as these
> same walkers don't get it in cooler weather. What is it?
>
> Golfer's Vasculitis
>
> Ask most physicians about this common rash and they draw a blank. That
> is probably due to few people seeking medical help for it. By the time
> they got a doctor's appointment, it would have cleared up, as it
> commonly goes away in a couple of days. At last, a paper in the
> "Australasian Journal of Dermatology" has described it and proposed
> naming it "Golfer's vasculitis."
>
> Causes of the Heat Leg Rash
>
> The research article said many people underwent extensive allergy
> testing, believing they must be having a reaction to some chemical or
> plant.
> But it is simply an irritation of the blood vessels following prolonged
> exercise in the heat, such as walking for extended periods or playing 18
> holes of golf. It is more common in people over 50. In my experience,
> walkers can't pinpoint anything new they used that may be causing a
> reaction. And so many walkers have it that they couldn't all have
> contacted the same irritant. The source is simply heat and age, your leg
> blood vessels getting irritated from the heat.
>
> Prevention
>
> The research offered no treatment or prevention. It seems to occur in
> healthy, active people and they suggest it should not be a health
> concern. They recommend not getting allergy testing, etc.
>
> Treatment
>
> In my non-medical experience at Breast Cancer 3-Day Walks and walking
> conventions, this rash appears on a vast range of walkers and commonly
> goes away by itself after a few days. Pampering yourself after a good
> day's long walk with a cool bath, sitting with your feet up, or using
> cool wet towels on the rash areas may be relieving.
>
> http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-0960.2005.00127.x
>
> Australasian Journal of Dermatology
> Volume 46 Issue 1 Page 11 - February 2005
> To cite this article: Robert I Kelly, Jacinta Opie, Rosemary Nixon
> (2005)
> Golfer's vasculitis
> Australasian Journal of Dermatology 46 (1), 11�14.
> doi:10.1111/j.1440-0960.2005.00127.x
>
> SUMMARY
>
> A number of patients presented with an erythematous, purpuric rash
> occurring on the legs in association with playing golf and also after
> prolonged walks or hikes. Many patients believed that it was an allergic
> reaction to grasses or insecticides and had sometimes undergone
> extensive allergy testing. We collected reports of 17 such cases from
> dermatologists in the state of Victoria, Australia. Patients were
> interviewed by phone and asked to submit photographs of the rash if
> possible. Of these, the eruption developed in 15 after playing 18 holes
> of golf and in three following prolonged hikes. The rash would usually
> develop over the summer months under hot conditions. Most patients were
> over 50 years of age when the tendency to develop the eruption began.
> Biopsies of the rash in the active phase showed leukocytoclastic
> vasculitis. Patch testing and investigations for potential underlying
> causes for vasculitis were negative or unremarkable. It would seem that
> this is a common but poorly documented condition. The clinical
> presentation and histology would support the conclusion that it
> represents a leukocytoclastic vasculitis induced by prolonged exercise
> under hot conditions. The findings would suggest that it occurs in
> healthy people and extensive investigation with blood tests or allergy
> testing is inappropriate. We believe the condition should be termed
> 'golfer's vasculitis', as golf appears to be the most common
> precipitating event and such a term would enable the condition to become
> more widely recognized.

Thank you for the posting. I now believe this is the mysterious itchy
rash I get on my right hand each May in Fla. I drive my electric chair
most days and the hand is directly in sun light. I noticed it happens
less if I apply sunscreen after each hand washing. During summer camp as
a child I recall this sort of thing happening. They called it "non
specific heat rash".

Julie
www.foresitecomputing.net/COVE/

Please visit my web site, above, where you can get lots of free
information, view photos, and contact me directly for free answers
to your questions.