Degos disease

Degos disease, also called Köhlmeier-Degos disease or malignant atrophic papulosis, is an extremely rare condition in which arteries and veins become blocked. People with it develop papules, small raised skin lesions, and the blocked vessels can also damage internal organs, which is where the serious complications arise. The underlying mechanism is still unknown and an effective treatment is still being developed. Fewer than fifty living patients are presently known worldwide and fewer than two hundred have been reported in the medical literature, though some people may go undiagnosed because the disease is so rare. Symptoms most often begin between the ages of twenty and fifty, although cases outside that range have been reported. This entry records the state of knowledge and is not medical advice.