title: Diffuse pigmentation of back and arms: macular amyloidosis or other?
abstract: The study was undertaken to answer the question that how many patients with pigmentation of back and arms actually have amyloid deposits in pathology. 44 patients presenting with diffuse pigmentation of back and arms (DPOBA) were selected. Skin biopsies were performed in all cases from the affected sites. On all formalin fixed and paraffin embedded specimens, the following histochemical stains were performed: Haematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E), Congo red and immunohistochemical staining using anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibody. In 9 of 44 cases (20%), amyloid deposits were found. In the remaining 35 cases (80%), H&amp;E, Congo red and immunohistochemical staining failed to show any amyloid deposition. We were unable to find amyloid deposition in most of the patients presented with DPOBA. It seems that the signs may be attributable other disorders with similar clinical but different pathophysiologic aspects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ghodsisz@tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Seyed Zahra
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Ghodsi
authors.forename: Pari
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ehsani
authors.forename: Pedram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noormohammadpour
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asgrai
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gholamali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis; D001132:Arm; D001415:Back / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007633:Keratins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007633:Keratins