Angiomatosis with luminal cryoprotein deposition.
BACKGROUND
Angioendotheliomatosis has recently been separated into two types. Malignant angioendotheliomatosis is a lymphoma in which the neoplastic cells accumulate in vascular lumens. Reactive angioendotheliomatosis is a proliferation of capillaries that is less well characterized.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of three cases of reactive angiomatosis in patients with cryoproteinemia.


METHODS
Clinical and histologic data were correlated. Immunoperoxidase staining and electron microscopy were used in the histologic evaluation.


RESULTS
All three cases showed tufts of capillaries with luminal deposits of cryoproteins. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the cellularity of the tufts was primarily caused by a proliferation of pericytes.


CONCLUSIONS
Cryoproteinemia can cause angiomatosis that simulates a vascular neoplasm.
LeBoit
P E
PE
Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0506.
Solomon
A R
AR
Santa Cruz
D J
DJ
Wick
M R
MR
D000368:Aged; D000798:Angiomatosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*
D003450:Cryoglobulins; D001379:Azathioprine