MedGen

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a systemic disorder that affects the elastic tissue of the skin, the eye, and vascular system. Individuals most commonly present with angioid streaks of the retina found on routine eye examination or associated with retinal hemorrhage and/or characteristic papules in the skin. The most frequent cause of morbidity and disability in PXE is reduced vision due to complications of subretinal neovascularizations and macular atrophy. Other manifestations include premature gastrointestinal angina and/or bleeding, intermittent claudication of arm and leg muscles, stroke, renovascular hypertension, and cardiovascular complications (angina/myocardial infarction). Most affected individuals live a normal life span. [from GeneReviews]

Eosinophilic hyaline ovoid bodies which are often found in the subepidermal papillary regions or sometimes in the epidermis. Civatte bodies (CBs) are seen as rounded, homogenous, eosinophilic masses on routine H and E staining lying in the deeper parts of epidermis/epithelium and more frequently in dermis/connective tissue. They are known as CBs (in epithelium/epidermis), colloid bodies, or hyaline bodies (in connective tissue). They are 10-25 micrometers in diameter and situated mostly within or above the inflammatory cell infiltrate. In lichen planus, the number of necrotic keratinocytes may be so large that they are seen lying in clusters in the uppermost dermis. These bodies show a positive periodic acid Schiff reaction and are diastase resistant [from HPO]