WHAT IS DEGOS DISEASE ?
DEGOS DISEASE
Degos disease ,also known as kohlmeier degos disease or malignant atrophic papulosis , is an extremely rare condition caused by blockage of arteries and veins . Individuals with this condition will develop papules. Those diagnosed with this disease may also develop complication due to impairment of internal organs . There are fewer than 50 living patients presently known worldwide , and fewer than 200 reported in medical literature .
Many individuals may go undiagnosed due to rarity of the disease . Most individual develop symptoms between the ages of 20 -50 , however cases outside of this age range have been reported as well. Degos disease also know as malignant atrophic papulosis is characterized by vasculopathy of unknown origin origin and independently described by Degos in 1942 .
DEGOS DISEASE PICTURES :
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEGOS DISEASE ?
The characteristics symptoms of degos disease in the development of papules . Individual may have skin lesions or rashes , but they will proceed to develop distinct bumps or papules. Papules are circular in shape , have a porcelain - white center and red border. The white centers will skin in and only the border will remain raised . Papules appear on thr trunk and upper extremities and are not found on the individuals 's palms , soles, scalp , or face .
Symptoms vary depending on whether an individual has the benign variant or malignant variant of the disease . Both the benign and malignat forms have development of the characteristic papules . Individuals develops the maligant form , it means that not only are the papules persisting anywhere from a few years to throughout thier whole lives . In the benign form , no inner organs are affected . Most maligant cases involve problems of the gastrointestinal tract leading to small intestine lesions , abdominal pain , diarrhea , and bowel perforation . Symptoms that may develop from damage to these organs include double vision , clouding of lenses of eyes . swelling of the optic disc , partial loss of vision , shortness of breath , chest psin , and thickening of pericardium .
Someone with the benign form may suddenly develop symptoms of the malignant form . Symptoms can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years . Onset of symptoms typically begins to manifest between the ages of 20- 50 . A few cases of this condition in newborn .
CAUSES OF DEGOS DISEASE :
The papules characteristics for this disease develop due to infarctions , or blockage in small - medium arteries and veins . The underlying cause is unknown for this disease . Some cases have shown signs of inheritance between first -degree relatives . it has been suggested that the disease has a familial inheritance pattern , it is thougt to be an autosomal dominant disorder , in most cases of familial inheritance , the benign variant of the disease has been present .
Due to the lack of knowledge of the pathomechanism for this condition prevention strategies are not known . However to prevent worsening of symptoms , consistents evalutions should be conducted by a physician .
HOW TO DIAGONSIS OF DEGOS DISEASE ?
Individuals may be diagonsed with the benign form if only the papules are present . however an individuals may be diagonsed with the malignant form if involvement of other organs like the lungs , intestine and or central nervous system occurs . The maligant , or systematic form of this condition may suddenly develop even after having papules present for several years ,Order to quickly diagnose this shift to the malignant variant of the disease , it is important for individuals to have consistent follow up evalution . In these evaltion , depending on which organs are suspected to be involved , the following procedures and tests may be conducted : skin inspection , brain magnetic resonance tomography , colonoscopy , chest X- ray and abdominal ultrasound .
Clinical evalution and identification of characteristics papules may allow a dermatologist to diagnose degos disease . The papules have a white center and are bordered with a red ring . After lesions begin to appear , the diagnose for Degos disease can be supported by histological findings . This shape is due to the blockage of small arteries .
HOW TO TREAT DEGOS DISEASE ?
Due to the lack of knowledge around the underlying mechanism of malignant atrophic papulosis , an effective treatment method has not been developed . Treatments for this condition is symptomatic . Several treatments methods have been tested and are still being developed as more information regarding the condition is found .
After treating conditions comoroid with Degos disease , physicians have recently found improvement in symptoms with the use of eculizumab and treprostinil . Treprotinil use has been reported to results in clearing of gastrointestinal and central nervous system finding as well, as clearing of cutaneous lesions , but reports are limited . It may also increase the population of circulating endothelial cells, allowing angiogenesis .
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