ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY OF CHRONIC LESIONS OF ERYTHEMA-ELEVATUM-DIUTINUM - EXTRACELLULAR CHOLESTEROSIS IS A MISNOMER

Erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) is a rare disease of unknown origin t hat belongs to the spectrum of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Chronic le sions of EED contain lipid deposits, for which the term extracellular cholesterosis has been coined. We studied a typical case of EED with l ong-standing lesions. Findings of electron microscopic examination rev ealed a heavy, exclusively intracellular lipid deposition that consist ed of lipid droplets, myelin figures, and rare cholesterol clefts with in histiocytes but also within epidermal keratinocytes, mast cells, pe ricytes, and lymphocytes. These findings are in keeping with the resul ts of previous ultrastructural studies and suggest that the term extra cellular cholesterosis is a misnomer; intracellular lipidosis would mo re accurately describe the lipid deposition.