Degos Disease- Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

What is Degos Disease?

Degos disease is also known as malignant atrophic papulosis, Kohlmeier-Degos disease or Papulosis atrophicans maligna. Degos Disease is rare systematic disorder which affects small and medium sized arteries. It causes them to become blocked. The blood vessels affected include those supplying the skin, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. It commonly appears in young Caucasian adults. It occur predominantly on the trunk and arms. They usually start as small red raised spots of 2-5mm in diameter. The male-to-female ratio is approximately 3:1.

Causes of Degos Disease

• Abnormality in the clotting system of blood
• Viral infection
• An immune defect, or a clotting defect
• Asymptomatic or mildly itchy
• Distinctive skin lesions
• Gastrointestinal, visual, and nervous system problems

What are the symptoms of Degos Disease?

• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss.
• Gastrointestinal complications
• Weakness, fatigue
• Memory loss or altered sensation
• Epidermis may show infarctive changes or scattered necrotic keratinocytes
• Ocular - ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), optic neuritis (inflammation of optic nerves), diplopia (double vision) and visual field defects may occur.

Degos DiseaseTreatment

• Anti-platelet drugs like aspirin and dipyridamole may reduce the number of new lesions in some patients with only skin involvement.
• Degos disease is usually treated by endoscopy (an instrument for visualizing the interior of a hollow organ) or skin biopsy .
• Surgical intervention may be needed for gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal perforation, bowel infarction (death of tissue) or intracranial bleeding.
• Degos disease was treated with the Er:YAG laser pulse energy between 1,000 and 1,200 mJ, three consecutive passes.
• Dermatologic Surgery.