Prognosis, please, on ailing Microtek 18" LCD monitor

I have a Microtek 18" monitor that is about three years old. For most of its life, though not when new, it has looked like a single-pane window in winter when first turned on. There is a fuzzy ring of "frosting" around the edges. It is not the video card, as I've had it on three different ones. By the end of an hour of being on, this effect has gone away completely. Images within the frosted area not distorted, but are somewhat washed-out. I've dealt with it so far by mostly leaving the monitor on at all times, even if the PC is off, but this is a waste. I'd rather turn it off, but the depth of the ring has now increased to over an inch. As before, it goes away once the monitor has warmed up, but I'd rather address the problem with a permanent solution.
When warmed up, images are crisp and clean from edge to edge.
Is this a readily repairable defect, or should I just plan on replacing this monitor? Thank you.