title: Cutaneous deposits.
abstract: : The cutaneous deposition disorders are a group of unrelated conditions characterized by the accumulation of either endogenous or exogenous substances within the skin. These cutaneous deposits are substances that are not normal constituents of the skin and are laid down usually in the dermis, but also in the subcutis, in a variety of different circumstances. There are 5 broad categories of cutaneous deposits. The first group includes calcium salts, bone, and cartilage. The second category includes the hyaline deposits that may be seen in the dermis in several metabolic disorders, such as amyloidosis, gout, porphyria, and lipoid proteinosis. The third category includes various pigments, heavy metals, and complex drug pigments. The fourth category, cutaneous implants, includes substances that are inserted into the skin for cosmetic purposes. The fifth category includes miscellaneous substances, such as oxalate crystals and fiberglass. In this article, the authors review the clinicopathologic characteristics of cutaneous deposition diseases, classify the different types of cutaneous deposits, and identify all the histopathologic features that may assist in diagnosing the origin of a cutaneous deposit.
authors.affiliation: *Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain †Professor of Dermatology and Pathology, Research Unit Dermatopathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria ‡Professor of Dermatology and Pathology, Dermatophatologische, Gemeinschaftslabor, Friedrichshafen, Germany §Professor of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Molina-Ruiz
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cerroni
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kutzner
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Requena
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*