eMedicine Specialties > Gastroenterology > Systemic Disease
Malignant Atrophic Papulosis: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Aug 29, 2006
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
Crohn Disease
Polyarteritis Nodosa
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Tuberculosis
Other Problems to Be Considered
Thromboangiitis obliterans
Lichen planus
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome
Lymphomatoid papulosis
Arthropod bite
Atrophie blanche
Tumid lupus
Workup
Laboratory Studies
- There are no lab results pathognomonic of MAP. CBC, serum chemistries, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein findings are usually within reference ranges. Results of serum immunoglobulins, complement assays, antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti–double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), and other serologies are usually unremarkable as well. Coagulation studies are generally normal. However, protein S deficiency, antiphospholipid antibodies, and altered platelet function have been identified in isolated cases of MAP, resulting in abnormalities of various coagulation parameters.
Imaging Studies
- In patients with neurological involvement, CT scan or MRI of the brain may show ischemic infarcts, intracerebral bleeding, subdural hemorrhage, cord infarcts, and diffuse homogeneous dural enhancement. A cerebral angiogram may reveal narrowing and occlusion of small intracranial arteries. Generalized nonspecific slowing on EEG and axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathy on electromyogram (EMG) also have been found in selected patients.
- In patients with abdominal discomfort and cutaneous MAP, plain radiographs, CT scan of the abdomen, or small bowel follow through may show intra-abdominal perforation, abscesses, or fistulae indicating systemic involvement.
Other Tests
- Gastrointestinal involvement may be observed on endoscopy, even in asymptomatic patients. Lesions similar to those on the skin are most often observed in the small bowel but can also be seen in the stomach, esophagus, duodenum, colon, and rectum.
- Laparoscopy may show typical lesions consisting of white spots with hyperemic borders on the serosal surface of the bowel and the peritoneum.
- MAP infrequently causes symptomatic involvement of other organs (eg, lungs, heart), which may require appropriate tests such as chest x-ray, ECG, and echocardiogram.
Procedures
- Skin biopsy usually is required for histologic diagnosis.
Histologic Findings
Biopsy samples of early lesions have shown nonspecific findings, including some perivascular and perineural inflammatory infiltrates. However, a typical mature lesion of the skin usually shows an atrophic hyperkeratotic epidermis overlying an inverted, cone-shaped area of necrosis in the dermis. The small-caliber blood vessels in the dermis show narrowing of the lumen by endothelial proliferation and, sometimes, partial or complete occlusion of the lumen by a thrombus. While lesions may show lymphocytic perivascular infiltrates, it is the relative paucity or complete absence of inflammatory cells at the periphery of affected vessels that distinguishes MAP from other vasculitides. Similar changes are observed in the small arteries and arterioles on histologic examination of other affected organs. Although prominent IgA deposits have been reported in isolated cases, direct immunofluorescence has yielded variable results.
More on Malignant Atrophic Papulosis |
| Overview: Malignant Atrophic Papulosis |
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Malignant Atrophic Papulosis |
| Treatment & Medication: Malignant Atrophic Papulosis |
| Follow-up: Malignant Atrophic Papulosis |
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References
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Further Reading
Keywords
MAP, Kohlmeier-Degos syndrome, Degos disease, vascular occlusive disorders, thromboangiitis obliterans
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Malignant Atrophic Papulosis