Eyelid Degenerative and Inflammatory Disorders
Updated August 2024
Acrochordon (skin tag)
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology: thought to be caused by skin rubbing
- Appearance in childhood can be associated with basal cell nevus syndrome.
- Increased incidence with age, no gender/race predilection
- Characteristic appearance: pedunculated, fleshy, skin-colored mass
- Benign, slow growing, usually asymptomatic, sometimes causes irritation
- Most often seen in neck, axilla, and inguinal region
- Definitive diagnosis by histopathology
Risk factors
- Obesity
- Diabetes
Differential diagnosis
- Squamous papilloma
- Verrucca vulgaris
- Amelanotic nevus
Clinical management
- Observation
- Surgical excision
- Cryotherapy
Complications of treatment
Rare; recurrence uncommon
Squamous papilloma
Approach to diagnosis
- Unknown etiology; Hyperplasia of squamous epithelium
- Characteristic appearance: frond-like, papular lesion, often pedunculated
- Slow growing, usually asymptomatic
- Definitive diagnosis by histopathology
- Fibrovascular core covered by acanthotic epithelium, hyperkeratosis
Risk factors
- Increased incidence with age, no gender/race predilection
- Most common benign eyelid lesion
Differential diagnosis
- Verrucca vulgaris
- Amelanotic nevus
- Seborrheic keratosis
- Basal cell carcinoma
Clinical management
- Observation
- Surgical excision
- Laser ablation (CO2, argon)
Complications of treatment
Rare; recurrence uncommon
Seborrheic keratosis (SK)
Approach to diagnosis
- Unknown etiology; arises from follicular infundibulum, involves aggregation of immature epidermal keratinocytes
- Increased incidence with age, no gender/race predilection
- Clinical features: elevated, sometimes pedunculated, rough keratotic surface with variable pigmentation, greasy “stuck-on” appearance
- Slow growing, usually asymptomatic; sometimes causes irritation
- Commonly seen on torso and face
- Clinical variants:
- Dermatosis papulosa nigra: Multiple deeply pigmented facial SKs in Africans
- Inverted follicular keratosis: Irritated variant of SK, rapid growth typical
- Intraepidermal horn cysts: Thick protuberance of keratin from SK
- Sudden appearance or growth of multiple SKs can herald internal malignancies such as adenocarcinoma of GI or breast (Leser-Trelat sign)
- Definitive diagnosis by histopathology: Hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, acanthosis
Risk factors
- Family history
- Sun exposure
- Age
Differential diagnosis
- Squamous papilloma (pigmented)
- Nevus
- Melanoma
- Pigmented basal cell carcinoma
Clinical management
- Observation
- Surgical excision
- Cryotherapy
Complications of treatment
Rare; recurrence uncommon
Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH)
Approach to diagnosis
- Pseudoneoplastic proliferation of epidermis and adnexal epithelium
- Can be idiopathic or associated with numerous types of infection (classically mycotic or mycobacterial), inflammation, trauma, or neoplasms (for example, basal cell carcinoma)
- Epidemiology: increased incidence with age
- History:
- Can develop rapidly over weeks
- Can gradually regress if left untreated for several months
- Clinical features:
- Nodular, irregular, crusty lesion, sometimes ulcerative
- Often resembles cutaneous malignancy
- Variant: keratoacanthoma (see Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
- Diagnosis established by histopathology:
- Irregular invasion of dermis by jagged epidermal masses, horn cysts, mitotic figures, nonspecific inflammation
- Can be difficult to distinguish from squamous cell carcinoma
- Inciting organism can be seen if present
Risk factors
Presence of inciting condition
Differential diagnosis
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Basal cell carcinoma
Patient management
- Observation (can spontaneously regress)
- Medical therapy
- Treatment of underlying condition if identified
- Surgical excision
- If diagnostic uncertainty exists, consider Mohs excision or frozen section control
Complications of treatment
Scarring, eyelid deformity
Sebaceous hyperplasia
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology unknown
- Epidemiology:
- Increased incidence with age, most common over 40–50
- Rare familial forms exist
- History: gradual onset, chronic course
- Clinical features:
- One or more focal tan-yellow papules or diffuse thickening of eyelids
- Similar to sebaceous adenoma
- Associated with Muir-Torre syndrome (MTS):
- Sebaceous neoplasms or keratoacanthoma
- Internal malignancy (for example, colorectal carcinoma)
- Presence of sebaceous hyperplasia does not necessitate screening for MTS
- Diagnosis established by histopathology: Well-differentiated, mature sebaceous lobules
Risk factors
- Muir-Torre syndrome
- Family history
Patient management
- Observation
- Trichloroacetic acid (small, diffuse lesions)
- Surgical options:
- Excision
- Electrodessication, cautery (small lesions)
Xanthelasma
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology: idiopathic, sometimes associated with familial hyperlipidemia
- 25–70% of patients have normal lipid levels.
- Some large-scale studies have documented an association between xanthelasma and risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of serum cholesterol and other risk factors (Christoffersen, BMJ 2011).
- Epidemiology:
- 1–3% incidence in general population
- Typically appears in middle age, slight female preponderance
- Appearance under 40 years more likely to signify hyperlipidemia
- History: gradual onset, usually static, but can fluctuate in size/number
- Clinical features:
- Flat or mildly elevated, yellow, subepidermal placoid lesions
- Usually bilateral, can involve all 4 lids, medial location common
- Diagnosis usually clinical:
- Atypical appearance should raise suspicion for xanthogranulomatous disease (see below)
- Histopathology: infiltration of superficial reticular dermis foamy histiocytes, Touton giant cells sometimes present
Risk factors
Hyperlipidemia
Differential diagnosis
- Xanthoma
- Xanthogranuloma
Patient management
- Observation
- Treatment of hyperlipidemia if present:
- Normalization of lipids can lead to regression
- Trichloroacetic or bichloroacetic acid
- Laser ablation (CO2, argon, erbium-YAG, pulsed dye)
- Surgical excision:
- Typically full-thickness, but subepithelial excision if lipid infiltration extends beneath the surface
- Recurrence common regardless of treatment modality:
- Highest incidence of recurrence within first year
Complications of treatment
Cicatricial ectropion/lagophthalmos
Disease-related complications
Cardiovascular risk related to hyperlipidemia
Atopic dermatitis
Approach to diagnosis
- Unknown etiology; cell-mediated immune defects
- TH2-cell activation with increased synthesis of IL-4 and IgE
- Epidemiology:
- Manifests in infancy or childhood
- 2% of population affected by atopic dermatitis
- Characteristic triad:
- Eczematous dermatitis
- Allergic rhinitis
- Asthma
- Clinical features:
- Eyelid findings: eczema, pruritis, edema, violaceous or brown discoloration (“allergic shiner”), lichenification, periocular milia
- Dennie-Morgan fold: skin crease from medial canthus to lower lid
- Secondary staphylococcal infection can occur.
- Ocular findings: atopic keratoconjunctivitis, conjunctival papillae, Horner-Trantas dots, inferior pannus, symblepharon
- Keratoconus: 1.5–6.7% incidence in atopic dermatitis
- Skin hypersensitivity to numerous stimuli/agents
- Establishing the diagnosis
- History and physical exam
- Elevated serum IgE
Differential diagnosis
- Other forms of dermatitis: contact, seborrheic, lichen simplex chronicus
- Blepharochalasis syndrome
Risk factors
Family history of atopy
Patient management
- Natural history
- Infantile stage: eczematous dermatitis affecting extensor surfaces (tops of feet, back of hands, knees, face)
- Childhood phase: flexural sites (popliteal/antecubital fossae)
- Periodic exacerbations and remissions
- Medical therapy
- Break the “itch-scratch” cycle: cool moist compresses, bland ointments, antihistamines
- Acute flares: topical corticosteroids (5–10 days)
- Keratoconjuctivitis: topical antihistamines, mast-cell-stabilizers, corticosteroids, or NSAIDs
- Secondary staphylococcal infection: topical antibiotics
- Topical calcineurin inhibitors Pimecrolimus and Tacrolimus are both indicated for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
- Safe and effective for sensitive areas, particularly given the low risk of causing atrophy.
- Negligible systemic levels after topical application.
- Boxed warning in US due to theoretical risk of lymphoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, despite ample evidence suggesting no increased risk with topical use.
- Surgery: not indicated
- Co-management with dermatology recommended
Complications of treatment
- Steroids: skin atrophy, glaucoma, cataract, susceptibility to infection
- Prevention by using short courses of treatment and avoiding long-term use
Contact dermatitis
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology: exposure to offending agent
- Cosmetics, cleaning products, preservatives, metals, ophthalmic medications, and others
- Can be irritant or allergic (type IV hypersensitivity)
- Epidemiology: female predominance
- Clinical features:
- Acute: edema, erythema, pruritis, vesicles, weeping
- Chronic: erythema, lichenification, hyperpigmentation
- Patch testing with suspected offending agent
Differential diagnosis
- Other forms of dermatitis: atopic, seborrheic, lichen simplex chronicus
- Blepharochalasis syndrome
Patient management
- Remove offending agent
- Medical therapy
- Cool compresses
- Topical corticosteroid ointment (5–10 day course)
- Oral corticosteroids can be considered for acute cases
Complications of treatment and their prevention
- Steroids: skin atrophy, glaucoma, cataract, susceptibility to infection
- Prevention by using short courses of treatment and avoiding long-term use
Seborrheic dermatitis
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology unknown; associated with increased sebaceous gland number and function
- Yeast (Pityrosporon ovale) thought to play a role
- Epidemiology:
- Infancy (“cradle cap”)
- Puberty through adulthood
- Male predilection
- Affects 2–5% of population
- History: gradual onset, worse during winter
- Clinical features:
- Greasy scaling, patchy erythema involving scalp, central face, lids, brow, ears, presternal skin, axilla, inguinal area
- Blepharitis, madarosis, keratoconjunctivitis
- Histopathology:
- Focal parakeratosis
- Pyknotic neutrophils
- Acanthosis
- Spongiosis
- Nonspecific inflammation of dermis
Risk factors
- Parkinson’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- AIDS
Differential diagnosis
- Psoriasis
- Impetigo
- Dermatophytosis
- Lichen simplex chronicus
- Discoid lupus
Patient management
- Natural history: chronic course with exacerbations and remissions
- Medical therapy:
- Anti-dandruff shampoos
- Ketoconazole shampoo 2% to face during shower or cream
- Corticosteroid cream
- Lid scrubs, topical antibiotics
- Radiation therapy: UV radiation helpful (condition improves in summer, flares in fall)
- Comanagement with dermatology recommended
Complications of treatment
Steroids:
- Skin atrophy
- Glaucoma
- Cataract
- Susceptibility to infection
Lamellar ichthyosis
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology: genetic, usually autosomal recessive
- Identified mutations on chromosomes 14q11 and 2q33-35
- Abnormal keratin formation
- Subtype of ichthyosiform dermatoses which also include:
- Dominant ichthyosis vulgaris
- X-linked ichthyosis
- Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis
- Epidemiology
- Incidence 1:250,000–300,000
- History
- Disease evident at birth
- “Collodion baby”: encasement in transparent, parchment-like membrane that spontaneously sheds within 2 weeks
- Large scales develop after membrane sheds
- Clinical features
- Cicatricial ectropion and lagophthalmos (Figure 1A)
- Generalized fish-like scales over entire body (Figure 1B)
Figure 1. Two-week-old old infant with lamellar ichthyosis. A. Cicatricial lagophthalmos and ectropion of all four lids. B. Generalized scaling as demonstrated on abdomen (Oestreicher 1990).
- Corneal scarring: might not be completely attributable to exposure (Cruz 2000)
- Testing and evaluation for establishing the diagnosis
- Physical findings
- Skin biopsy
- Genetic testing
Risk factors
Family history
Differential diagnosis
Limited
Patient management
- Natural history: chronic and unremitting
- Medical therapy
- Skin moisturizers
- Less severe in warm, humid climates
- Surgery: anterior lamellar grafts for cicatricial ectropion
- Donor sites for full-thickness skin grafts limited due to generalized involvement
- Penile foreskin (Uthoff 1994)
- Maternal allograft (Das 2010)
- Oral mucous membrane graft (Nayak 2011)
- Human engineered skin (Culican 2002)
- Advancement flaps
Disease-related complications
Disease-related complications are syndrome-related: Refsum syndrome, Gaucher syndrome.
Dermatomyositis
Approach to diagnosis
- Etiology: autoimmune inflammatory vasculopathy
- Often idiopathic, especially juvenile form
- Infectious trigger postulated
- Medications (for example, atorvastatin, phenytoin)
- Paraneoplastic: ovarian or gastric carcinoma, lymphoma, lung cancer, and others
- Epidemiology
- Can present in children (5–15 years) or middle-aged adults
- Female preponderance
- History: variable presentation, rash usually appears early
- Clinical features
- Bilateral heliotrope rash on upper lids or malar region (Figure 2)
Figure 2. Heliotrope rash and edema of both upper eyelids in 16-year-old male with juvenile dermatomyositis (Taban 2006).
- Diffuse purple discoloration or scaly erythema — variant: supraciliary “purple line”
- Periorbital edema
- Pox-like scars (late stage)
- Gottron’s papules (pathognomonic): scaly erythematous plaques over knuckles, elbows, and knees
- Mechanic’s hand: fissured, scaly, hyperkeratotic, hyperpigmented hands
- “Shawl” pattern rash over shoulders/arms/upper back/anterior neck/chest
- Calcinosis cutis (mostly in children)
- Dysphagia, proximal muscle weakness
- Arthritis, interstitial pneumonitis, visceral vasculopathy
- Cardiac conduction defects
- Overlap syndrome: concurrent connective tissue disorder
- Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, SLE, polyarteritis nodosa, and others
- Testing and evaluation for establishing the diagnosis
- Labs: creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), liver enzymes
- Autoantibodies: ANA, Jo-1, anti-EJ, SRP, Mi-2, others
- Electromyography
- Muscle biopsy
- Mixed B- and T-cell perivascular infiltrate
- Perifascicular muscle fiber atrophy
- Rule out presence of malignancy as indicated
Risk factors
- Viral infection, possibly Lyme disease
- Cancer: ovarian, gastric, lymphoma, others
Differential diagnosis
- Lichen planus
- Seborrheic dermatitis,
- SLE, psoriasis
- Contact dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Trichinosis
Patient management
- Natural history: chronic course with exacerbations and remissions
- Juvenile form: <10% mortality rate (historically as high as 50%)
- Adult: 80% 5-year survival
- Medical therapy
- Oral corticosteroids: 0.5–1.5 mg/kg/day until serum CPK normalizes, and then taper over 12 months
- Immunosuppressants: methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, hydroxychloroquine
- IV immunoglobulin
- Sun avoidance
- Physical therapy for atrophy and contractures
- Surgery: limited role
- Other management considerations
- Treat overlap syndromes if present
- Treat underlying malignancies if present
- Long-term treatment required
Complications of treatment
Medication-specific
Disease-related complications
- Pulmonary interstitial fibrosis
- Dysphagia
- Cardiac dysfunction
- Infection
Scleroderma
Approach to diagnosis
Two major forms:
- Localized scleroderma (morphea)
- Patterns of involvement: circumscribed, linear, generalized, bullous, deep
- Linear scleroderma can involve frontoparietal region (en coup de sabre)
- Systemic scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis)
- Multisystem involvement of skin, lungs, heart, GI tract
- Potentially fatal
- Clinical variant: CREST syndrome
- Calcinosis cutis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia
- Etiology unknown
- Autoimmune cutaneous sclerosis
- Possible association with Borrelia burgdorferi
- Epidemiology
- Localized: onset typically within first two decades.
- Systemic: middle age
- Female preponderance
- History: initial inflammatory phase followed by quiescence
- Clinical features
- Localized
- Cutaneous white or brown plaques, sometimes with violaceous border
- Patterns: single, linear, or widespread
- Frontoparietal: unilateral linear plaque or scar extending from brow to forehead — en coup de sabre, “strike of the sword” — can cause hemifacial atrophy and involve orbit, leading to enophthalmos
- Other ocular findings (uncommon): anterior uveitis, episcleritis, strabismus, Brown syndrome
- Systemic
- Diffuse cutaneous sclerosis, acrosclerosis, flexion contractures
- Can cause periorbital edema (early)
- Mask-like facies, small sharp nose, microstomia
- Testing and evaluation for establishing the diagnosis
- Laboratory abnormalities: ANA, ssDNA, RF, polyclonal IgG and IgM hypergammaglobulinemia
- Histopathology: vascular changes, deposition of collagen in dermis and subcutis, nonspecific inflammation
Risk factors
Unknown
Differential diagnosis
- Localized:
- Lichen sclerosis et atrophicus
- Progressive hemifacial atrophy (Parry-Rhomberg syndrome)
- Systemic:
- Mixed connective tissue disease
- Systemic lupus erythematosis
- Dermatomyositis
- Graft-versus-host disease
- Patient management
- Medical therapy: systemic disease
- Corticosteroids beneficial early
- No effective long-term treatments; numerous experimental agents under investigation
- Surgery: en coup de sabre
- Orbitofacial reconstruction for hemifacial atrophy, micro-fat grafting
Disease-related complications
- Systemic
- Cardiac conduction defects
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Renal failure
- Malignant hypertension
- Localized
- Epilepsy
- Arthritis
- Flexion contractures
Periorbital discoid lupus erythematosis (DLE)
Approach to diagnosis
- Subtype of cutaneous lupus erythematosis (CLE)
- Autoimmune etiology, incompletely understood
- Upregulated IFN-α, impaired clearance of immune complexes and apoptotic cells
- Periorbital involvement uncommon (6%) in DLE
- Epidemiology
- Female predilection (8:1)
- Typically middle-aged (median age 40)
- History
- Typically isolated skin lesions; about 90% have no concomitant systemic/pathologic diagnosis at presentation
- Chronic course, typical time to presentation 2 years
- Clinical features
- Symptoms: localized redness, irritation
- Erythematous plaque, scaling, madarosis
- Telangiectasia, ulceration, edema less common
- Can mimic epithelial malignancy
- Isolated or multifocal, unilateral or bilateral
- Associated lesions on face/ears/scalp: about 30%
Diagnostic testing:
- Biopsy:
- Histopathology
- Interface dermatitis
- Vacuolar degeneration
- Perifollicular/perieccrine inflammation
- Keratinocyte necrosis (Civatte bodies)
- Follicular plugging
- Intradermal mucin deposition
- Pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia
- Immunoflourescence: lupus band test
- Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test: 18% positive
Risk factors
- Smoking
- UV exposure (disease exacerbation)
Differential diagnosis
- Premalignant/malignant lesions: actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, sebaceous carcinoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Inflammatory: blepharitis, chalazion, eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, sarcoidosis
- Infectious: preseptal cellulitis, orbital cellulitis, mycotic dermatitis
Management
- Disease course typically chronic, unremitting, nonprogressive
- Medical treatment
- Oral antimalarials: first-line therapy
- Hydroxychloriquine 6.5 mg/kg/day (typically 200 mg bid); response usually seen within 2–3 months; can reduce to 200 mg qd
- Addition of mepacrine 100 mg/day if inadequate response
- Substitute chloroquine 4 mg/kg/day if combination fails
- Maintain treatment for 1–2 years
- Corticosteroids: often inadequate as monotherapy
- Topical (0.05% fluocinonide), intralesional, or oral
- Other topicals
- Isotretinoin
- Tacrolimus
- Mycophenolate
Other topicals
- Thalidomide
- Methotrexate
- Azathioprine
- Dapsone
- Oral retinoids
- Clofazimine
- Surgical excision: rarely used
- Consider referral to dermatology and/or rheumatology
Complications of treatment
- Medication-specific
- Surgical excision can lead to lid retraction/ectropion
Disease-related complications
- Unrecognized/untreated periorbital DLE can lead to cicatricial complications: trichiasis, ectropion, entropion, retraction, lagophthalmos, symblepharon
- Minority of patients w/ DLE (5%) progress to systemic lupus (SLE)
- Ocular manifestations: keratoconjunctivitis sicca, peripheral ulcerative keratitis, interstitial keratitis, retinal vasculopathy
- Systemic complications: cardiac, renal, pulmonary, hematologic, arthritis, dermatologic (malar “butterfly” rash), neurological, psychiatric
Adult orbital xanthogranulomatous disease
Approach to diagnosis
- Classification:
- Adult onset xanthogranuloma (AOX)
- Adult onset asthma with periocular xanthogranuloma (AAPOX)
- Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (NXG)
- Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD)
- Etiology: idiopathic
- Epidemiology
- Can presents in early adults to elderly patients
- Male preponderance: AAPOX, ECD
- No gender predilection: AOX, NXG
- Clinical features
- Bilateral, indurated yellow-orange subcutaneous lesions
- “Atypical xanthelasma”
- Can be ulcerated in NXG
- Often extend deep into orbit
- Systemic associations:
- AOX: typically isolated
- AAPOX: adult onset asthma
- Lid lesions usually appear months after onset of asthma
- NXG: paraproteinemia, multiple myeloma
- ECD: infiltration and fibrosis of internal organs — heart, lungs, retroperitoneum, bones, etc.
- Testing and evaluation for establishing the diagnosis
- Histopathology: sheets of mononucleated foamy histiocytes infiltrating orbicularis/orbital tissue, lymphocytes, plasma cells, Touton giant cells
- Follicles, germinal centers, fibrosis
- Immunohistochemistry: CD68, CD163, factor XIIIa
Risk factors
Unknown
Differential diagnosis
- Xanthelasma
- JXG
- Sarcoid
- Amyloid
- Sclerosing orbital inflammation
- Lymphoma, other orbital tumors
Patient management
- Natural history: chronic unremitting course
- ECD: typically aggressive course, mortality >50%
- Medical therapy
- AOX, NXG: intralesional corticosteroid injection (Elner 2006)
- ECD: systemic steroids, chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine), interferon-α
- Radiation therapy: NXG, ECD, AAPOX
- Surgical debulking
- Recurrence possible
- Multidisciplinary treatment approach highly recommended
Disease-related complications
The most severe are related to systemic fibrosis (ECD) and paraproteinemia or myeloma (NXG).
Amyloidosis
Approach to diagnosis
- Classification
- Localized or systemic
- Orbital and conjunctival amyloid usually localized
- Eyelid amyloid usually associated with systemic disease (most common site of skin involvement)
- Primary or secondary
- AL (light-chain deposition) or AA (A-protein)
- Etiology
- Primary: hereditary, idiopathic
- Secondary
- B-cell or plasma cell dyscrasia (e.g., multiple myeloma) — common cause of eyelid amyloid
- Reactive (secondary): rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease, tuberculosis
- Epidemiology: typically sixth decade, no gender predilection
- Clinical features
- Amyloid deposition throughout body (systemic)
- Skin, liver, heart, kidney, tongue (macroglossia), etc.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Lid lesions:
- Multiple bilateral confluent papules, waxy pink or yellow
- Tend to bleed spontaneously or with slight trauma (“pinch purpura”)
Testing and evaluation for establishing the diagnosis
- Labs: thrombocytosis, proteinuria, increased serum creatinine, increased IgG
- Workup for immune cell dyscrasias
- Skin biopsy: amyloid deposition in dermis
- Acellular lightly eosinophilic material
- Staining with Congo red
- Apple-green birefringence
- Risk factors: family history, associated conditions as stated above
- Differential diagnosis
- Thrombocytopenic purpura
- Scurvy
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Other lid tumors
- Patient management
- Natural history: chronic, unremitting; systemic AL disease often fatal
- Medical therapy
- Treatment of underlying disorders, if present
- Chemotherapy – high dose melphalan
- Steroids
- Stem cell transplantation
- Radiation therapy (controversial)
- Surgical debulking (Patrinely 1992)
- High risk of bleeding due to accumulation of amyloid around blood vessels
- Recurrence common
- Multidisciplinary treatment approach recommended for systemic disease
References and additional resources
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