Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology

Home Chapter Home Jobs Conferences Fellowships Books

Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology

Other dermatoses

Argyria

Reviewer: Cecilia Rosales, M.D., Baylor College (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 18 July 2011, last major update July 2011
Copyright: (c) 2002-2011, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

Definition
=========================================================================

● Permanent discoloration of skin due to dietary, medicinal or industrial exposure to silver compounds
● Silver deposition in skin and mucous membranes, liver, spleen, adrenal, muscle and brain
● Silver deposits cause pigmentation of basement membranes of adnexal structures

Clinical description
=========================================================================

● Initially present in gingiva as slate blue line due to metallic silver and silver sulfide
● Cutaneous manifestations follow a sun-exposed distribution
● Nails can also be involved
● Laser treatment may be useful (Int J Dermatol 2011;50:751)

Clinical images
=========================================================================

Various images

Microscopic description
=========================================================================

● Silver granules in vascular and adnexal basement membranes and adjacent to dermal elastic fibers
● Granules are brown-black

Micro images
=========================================================================

Tiny, gray-brown-black granules in dermis and concentrated near eccrine glands

Electron microscopy
=========================================================================

● Membrane bound granules within macrophages, lysosomes or free within dermis

Additional references
=========================================================================

● eMedicine

End of Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology > Other dermatoses > Argyria

This information is intended for physicians and related personnel, who understand that medical information is often imperfect, and must be interpreted in the context of a patient's clinical data using reasonable medical judgment. This website should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a licensed physician.

All information on this website is protected by copyright of PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. Information from third parties may also be protected by copyright. Please contact us at copyrightPathOut@gmail.com with any questions (click here for other contact information).