A-Heavy-Chain Disease With Erythematous Skin Lesions

Abstract

To the Editor.— Since 1968, a large number of cases of α-heavy-chain disease (α-HCD) have been noted. The clinical signs of α-HCD are chronic diarrhea, severe malabsorption syndrome, steatorrhea of the gastrointestinal tract, and chronic bronchitis. The only other accompanying skin lesion, other than those mentioned above, described in the literature is clubbed finger nails. However, we have recently followed a unique case of α-HCD in which the patient had cutaneous lesions, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. Report of a Case.— A 69-year-old man who presented with numerous infiltrated erythematous maculas on his face, back, and chest was hospitalized at Kinki University Hospital, Osaka, Japan, with a diagnosis of malignant reticulosis in June 1978. He showed neither dyspnea nor diarrhea. On physical examination, he was found to have 0.5- to 1.0-cm erythematous plaques involving his chest (Fig 1) and back, and 0.2- to 0.3-cm solid erythematous papules on his face