Degos Disease
Degos Disease seems to be a disease of the blood vessels - a
thrombotic vasculopathy.Cells in the linings of the walls of the
medium and small veins and arteries under the skin swell when they become inflamed. This causes the blood flow to be restricted.Where this
happens, spots (lesions) appear on the skin. They are small and red, slightly raised
Skin lesions are the characteristic feature of Degos disease. The
lesions are usually multiple and occur predominantly on the trunk and arms. They usually start as small red raised spots of
2-5mm in diameter. After a few days they enlarge and develop a central white spot that is depressed in comparison to the red
skin around it. They heal leaving depressed porcelain-white scars.
Gastrointestinal complications result from lack of blood supply
to the lining of the gut and may lead to serious complications like perforation of the bowel. The usual symptoms are sudden
onset of abdominal pain or gastrointestinal bleeding (vomiting blood or passing blood with the bowel motion).
Involvement of the nervous system can lead to strokes, headaches,
epilepsy or non-specific neurological symptoms like memory loss or altered sensation. Other organs can also be involved such as eyes, kidneys, heart and liver.
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