Stasis dermatitis as a complication of amlodipine therapy.

BACKGROUND: Lower leg edema is a common side effect of amlodipine therapy, but is often unrecognized as a contributor to stasis dermatitis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether amlodipine therapy is more common among patients with stasis dermatitis than age-matched controls.

METHODS: In this retrospective chart review study, the medication lists of all subjects with stasis dermatitis from a single practice site over the past 2 years were compared to alphabetically consecutive charts of patients with basal cell carcinoma to determine the relative usage of amlodipine.

RESULTS: Patients with stasis dermatitis (n=43) are more likely to take amlodipine than are basal cell carcinoma patients (n=117) of similar age (19% vs. 5%, P<.02), even when controlled for the use of any antihypertensive medications (25% vs. 10%, P=.05).

CONCLUSION: Amlodipine therapy is associated with stasis dermatitis and discontinuing amlodipine should be considered when stasis dermatitis is diagnosed.