Prognosis After 21 Days of Treatment for Hand Condition
Yes, you can expect full healing after completing 21 days of therapy with no wound or edema present on your left hand, though continued monitoring for 6-12 months is recommended to ensure complete resolution.
Expected Healing Timeline
By 21 days post-treatment with no wound or edema, you are demonstrating excellent clinical response. 1 The absence of both wound and edema at this timepoint indicates successful disease control. 2
Key Clinical Indicators of Successful Healing
- By 4-6 weeks after treatment completion, lesion size should have decreased by >50%, with ulcerative lesions showing re-epithelialization and no new lesions appearing 1, 2
- Complete healing typically occurs by approximately 3 months after treatment completion for ulcerative lesions 1, 2
- The absence of edema is particularly favorable, as prolonged hand edema can have detrimental effects on range of motion and function 3
Ongoing Monitoring Requirements
You must continue surveillance for 6-12 months after treatment to detect any clinical evidence of therapeutic failure, which initially appears at the border of previously healed lesions. 1, 2
Signs That Would Require Additional Therapy
- Development of new skin lesions 2
- Worsening of existing lesions 2
- Incomplete healing by 3 months after completion of treatment 1, 2
Important Caveats
The first sign of healing is usually flattening of the skin lesion, and the healing process may continue after the treatment course is completed, especially for large ulcerative lesions. 2
A paradoxical increase in local inflammatory response may occur in the first 2-3 weeks of treatment and can be difficult to differentiate from therapeutic failure, but this does not indicate poor treatment response. 2