Systemic amyloidosis and the skin: a review with special emphasis on clinical features and therapy

Systemic amyloidosis presenting as mucocutaneous bullous lesions

A 65-year-old male presented with hemorrhagic bullous skin lesions with purpura and ecchymoses. There was increased skin fragility with a strongly positive Nikolsky sign. Histopathology of the skin revealed large amounts of amyloid deposits in the dermis with a positive Congo Red staining around the dermal vessels. Examination and tests in this patient also revealed anemia, hepatomegaly, infiltrative cardiomyopathy, polyneuropathy and immunoglobulin l deposition, favoring a diagnosis of primary amyloidosis (AL type). The present case is reported in view of the rarity of the bullous variant of primary systemic amyloidosis as well as presence of mucosal lesions and a positive Nikolsky sign.

Bullous amyloidosis of the oral cavity: A rare clinical presentation and review

Bullous amyloidosis (BA) is a rare cutaneous manifestation primarily of systemic amyloidosis, a disease in which abnormal proteinaceous material is formed and deposited in response to inflammatory conditions and plasma cell dyscrasias. Hemorrhagic bullae indicative of BA are usually associated with purpura and may be the initial clinical signs of systemic amyloidosis or monoclonal gammopathies, such as multiple myeloma and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Bullous amyloidosis of the oral cavity is highly uncommon and can mimic other vesiculobullous lesions of the oral mucosa. This article highlights an unusual case of oral BA and reviews important aspects of the disease.

Cutaneous markers of internal malignancy. II. Paraneoplastic dermatoses and environmental carcinogens

A variety of cutaneous disorders may reflect the presence of an internal disease. The ability to recognize those that may indicate an underlying malignancy is of particular importance. In part I of this series malignant involvement of the skin, either direct or metastatic, and the genodermatoses with malignant potential were reviewed. In this portion, we describe the paraneoplastic dermatoses as well as the cutaneous effects of some environmental carcinogens associated with internal malignancy. In addition, several uncommon and controversial associations between benign dermatoses and internal malignant disease will be discussed.

Familial amyloidosis of the Finnish type (FAF). A clinical study of 30 patients

The clinical findings of familial amyloidosis of the Finnish type (FAF) were recorded in a series of 30 patients. The onset was in the 3rd or 4th decade with slow progression so that the majority was in good health still in the 7th decade. Decreased vision and corneal lattice dystrophy together with blepharochalasis were common. Signs of cranial neuropathy especially affecting the facial nerve were found in all and peripheral polyneuropathy mainly affecting the vibration and touch senses in 26 patients. Hypotrichosis, tongue and skin changes were also characteristic. Amyloid was found in all skin, sural nerve and muscle biopsies. FAF thus shows a triad of typical neurological, ophthalmological and dermatological manifestations distinct from other amyloidoses.

Rheumatologic manifestations of malignancy

The relationship between rheumatologic syndromes and cancer covers a very broad array of both common and distinctly rare manifestations. This discussion has outlined some of the known relationships that do exist. A high index of suspicion by both the primary care physician and subspecialist will enhance the probability of detecting cancer in the patient who may present with rheumatologic complaints.

Primary systemic amyloidosis--a diagnostic primer

Primary systemic amyloidosis (immunoglobulin light chain-derived) (AL) is an uncommon dysproteinemia with highly varied initial clinical manifestations. Among 153 patients with this disorder, the median survival was 20.4 months (5-year survival, 19.6%). The worst outcome was associated with overt congestive heart failure (median survival, 7.7 months; 5-year survival, 2.4%). The patients with the best outcome were those who had amyloid neuropathy without associated cardiac or renal involvement (median survival, 39.7 months; 5-year survival, 31.6%). Serum protein electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis are the most important tests because a monoclonal protein can be detected in almost two-thirds of the patients. When screening of both serum and urine is performed, a monoclonal protein is found in 86% of patients. Such screening is helpful if primary systemic amyloidosis is to be detected and treated early.

Amyloid and amyloidosis

Cutaneous lesions are present in up to 40% of patients with primary and myeloma-associated systemic amyloidosis and occur as a result of tissue deposition of immunoglobulin light chain material derived from a circulating paraprotein. The occurrence of waxy, purpuric mucocutaneous lesions provides a crucial early pointer to underlying occult plasma cell dyscrasia; the combination of the symptoms of the carpal tunnel syndrome, macroglossia, and specific mucocutaneous lesions is highly characteristic. Although secondary systemic (reactive) amyloidosis rarely gives rise to clinically evident cutaneous lesions, it may be etiologically related to a number of chronic dermatoses. Lesions of nodular primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis are indistinguishable from those of primary and myeloma-associated systemic amyloidosis, and they result from local plasma cell infiltration. Macular and papular (lichen amyloidosus) variants of primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis may have a familial or racial basis and are characterized by a tendency for keratinocytes to undergo filamentous degeneration and apoptosis. The prognosis of patients with plasma cell dyscrasia-related systemic amyloidosis remains poor, since there is little response to therapy with cytotoxic agents, colchicine, or dimethylsulfoxide. Colchicine is the drug of choice in the prevention and treatment of the renal amyloidosis associated with familial Mediterranean fever, and dimethylsulfoxide may be useful in the management of patients with secondary systemic amyloidosis. Macular amyloid and lichen amyloidosus generally follow a chronic course with intractable pruritus; there have been isolated reports of the beneficial effect of dermabrasion, topical dimethylsulfoxide, and therapy with the aromatic retinoid, etretinate.

Myeloma, paraproteinemias, and the skin

This review focuses on those systemic diseases or syndromes associated with monoclonal plasma cell disorders that may present with important cutaneous manifestations. Amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome, cutaneous plasmacytoma, xanthomas, benign hypergammaglobulinemic purpura of Waldenström, and scleromyxedema are emphasized.