Mysterious Skin Disease

[Skin researcher]

Dear Dr. Rockoff:

Please check images at our website to see if you have any idea what might be causing the unknown skin disease we are researching.

The Morgellons Foundation
http://www.morgellons.org/

We are hoping to get detailed microscopy done to look for important clues to this organism.  Thousands of people in the US have reported the unusual symptoms of this disease. California seems to be the state with the highest number of reports.

The symptoms of this skin disease include stinging, pruritic (itchy), non-healing skin lesions.  FIBERS of unknown origin are found deep within skin lesions, and are NOT the result of clothing or environmental fibers. Oils or lotions rubbed into the skin can cause many of these fibers to surface on clean skin.

To study this, we have cleaned skin lesions and determined them to be fiber-free, by  using a handheld microscope (30x Radio Shack). We then covered the lesions with a non fibrous dressing.  When the dressings were removed, the fibers were once again observed to be embedded in the lesions.

We do not believe this is fungal based infection, as antifungals do not clear the lesions, nor the fibers. Antibiotics do not clear the lesions either. Topical steroids and immune-modulating medication, such as Protopic, relieves skin inflammation to a degree, but the condition appears to be chronic.

Please let me know if you have any insight into what is going on here.

Thank you!

Mary

[Skin researcher]

Hi,

I hope you realize this is not a Dr answering your inquiry.  I am just a board poster like you.

However, I did find quite a lot of info on the net about how irritating concret can be to human skin.

See the following excerpt at:
THE CENTER TO PROTECT WORKERS' RIGHTS
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/elcosh/docs/d0200/d000281/d000281.html

Excerpt:

"This is for a worker who works with cement to take to his/her doctor.
The patient presenting this pamphlet is a construction worker who has frequent occupational contact with caustics, acids, and sensitizers.
Please keep this information for reference in the patient's file to aid in evaluation of possible skin conditions.

Your patient is a construction worker with exposure to wet cement.
Construction workers are exposed to a number of chemicals known to cause irritant and allergic dermatitis.
Portland cement, found in plaster and in concrete mixes, is extremely alkaline. Wet plaster also contains slaked lime, or calcium hydroxide, which is even more caustic than Portland cement.
Further, Portland cement contains trace amounts of hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is a strong sensitizing agent responsible for allergic dermatitis in cement workers around the world.

Other sensitizing agents include various epoxy adhesives and sealants in addition to various chemicals present in the admixtures used with cement and plaster.

Finally, construction workers may use products such as lanolin creams or lotions to soften their skin. Lanolin is a sensitizing agent. Some industrial hand cleaners contain limonene, also a sensitizing agent. The rubber in rubber gloves also may cause allergic dermatitis.

This pamphlet contains a partial listing of skin disorders, potential etiologic agents, and possible medical surveillance.

Please maintain this in your patient's file. Sources of additional information about occupational dermatitis are printed on the back.

The  Center to Protect Workers' Rights
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/elcosh/docs/d0200/d000281/d000281.html

[flustered]

My husband has poured and finished cement for 30 years.  this has happened a few times before.  for at least 2 months his skin burns.  His arms and legs feel like an aligator might feel.  These areas are raised.  He can not stop the burning and itching. he scratches till he bleeds.  Today he said he thought he saw green pus from an area on his arm.  He has used benadryl, decadron and creams from the dermatologists.  he takes atarax 20 mg at night.  we first thought it was his medication and stoped the thorzine.  No change.  He is left with salsalate,trazadone, zoloft,glucosomine and a vitamin.  The dermatologist thought it might be a reaction to the potassium in the concrete.  he has since been forced to give up his business.  the biopsy came back "nothing".  I can not find any information about concrete poisioning on the web.  It could be a toxic effect of the medicine but i really believe he has a condition related to working around the concrete.  Have you any had any other cases like this?
Thank you for your time.

[itchallnight]

Mary,

You mentioned that a lab is going to do test for you to see what they come up with. I wish i can get that same help althoug my condition is from something else. I will pay the lab for their services. I am in florida. This microscope you mentioned
can i get it somewhere else to buy if so can you post the info so tht i can purchase this microscope. Right now i am ithcing so badly. But i feel somehow i am not alone. which is a bit comforting.

[Skin researcher]

Hi,

If you go to our website:

www.Morgellons.org

There is a link on the website for"Inexpensive Microscopes".  There is information here on the microscope that was used to create the pictures on the website.  Some local Toys R Us are still selling their remaining stock of this microscope, which is the "Intel Play QX3" for around $30. This is an unbelievable bargain, as it is equipped with a digital microscopic camera and save pictures directly to your hard drive.

EMail us through the website for more information.

Best wishes,
Mary

[angelstar]

I ended up at this site because my daughter is desperate to find a cure for her child's skin condition.I am an intensive care nurse and too have been devistated over this child's suffering...I was appauled at the responses that Dr. Rockhoff has given this "skin researcher".First of all..if  doctors listened to what we are all saying and truly researched into our concerns and findings instead of dismissing all of us with a cream and a drug and rush us out the door as if our lives and suffering meant nothing more than the next page on your prescription pad....there would NOT be this forum!!!...This researcher sounded genuine and held her decorum quite well under the circumstances...you Dr. Rockhoff sounded suspiscious, evasive, condeming, condescending, and uncompassionate..characteristics I've found too be all too similar amongst many medical practicioners  and specialists I have interfaced with over the past years. A conspiracy?...How absolutely rediculous!..perhaps WE are starting to feel it's a conspiracy!!!..My children and I have been misdiagnosed by countless doctors and specialists...and suffered greatly for it..oops! sorry...I guess they should have tried listening to the patients and trying to find the cause instead of learning everything they know from the pharmaceutical companies after what they learned in medical school..sorry.. I don't mean to imply that you never went on to gain new insight on recent findings in medicine...but your answers "smack" of the same feeling I got from the doctors who also wouldn't listen..and failed ...where did I find the answers to finally help us?...from frantically filing through thousands of pages  from the same people who are also not finding help from their doctors..God Bless them..they make more sense than the doctors!..yes I know that it can be dangerous to sift through these sites to find answers..But even as an intensive care nurse of 18 years I have found more valid and rational thought from these deperate people than any Doctor I have EVER met!!!!they have LIVED with this!..they die with this!..THEY suffer from it!..you go home with them and see what it's like to hold this bleeding child in agony day after day...night after night!!!!this researcher may very well be on to something..oh sorry doctor..she already put her name on the little critter!...you wouldn't get the glory...so why waste your time...I know some people who will!...and their name won't be prefixed by DR...the rest of you people in need ...there are wonderfull Docs out there..but if they look at you for 2 seconds and write a prescription and don't have time for your.."strange' family histories or unusual findings or patterns...walk out fast..find a new one...they've learned all they can and don't care to learn more..drugs and creams are consumable products..they can be ordered over and over..why do you think drug companies don't sell cures?...they can't keep collecting on a cured person..it's just not a lucrative business...WE must then find them..Sorry doctor..I don't want to hear " there is no cure..we don't know why..."...I don't want to be treated for life.....I want answers...If this researcher hadn't used such a small scope I'd be inclined to believe her pictures and renderings appear mysteriously..(oops!..I used that word!..must be a conspiracy here!)looks like the Lyme borrelliosis spirochete as it "shape shifts"...but then of course you probably don't know what I'm talking about..sorry to sound sarcastic..but then I guess I've about had it too...your responses stung to the core of every person that suffers trying to find help..thanks for all the help doc!..you owe this researcher an appology...

[DaveD]

I forgot to mention very good references to back up these statements.  Please forgive me for its length, but its quite important.

http://www.energyfields.org

http://www.laleva.cc/environment/taskforce_eng.html

http://www.health-concerns.org

http://www.electric-words.com/cell/references/radfrm.html

http://www.feb.se/index_int.htm

http://www.salzburg.gv.at/celltower/english/start_e.html

http://wbldb.femu.rwth-aachen.de/

http://www-nt.who.int/peh-emf/emfstudies/database.cfm

http://www.emrnetwork.org

http://www.wave-guide.org

http://www.microwavenews.com/