Angiomatosis with luminal cryoprotein deposition.
BACKGROUND: Angioendotheliomatosis has recently been separated into two types. Malignant angioendotheliomatosis is a lymphoma in which the neoplastic cells accumulate in vascular lumens. Reactive angioendotheliomatosis is a proliferation of capillaries that is less well characterized. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of three cases of reactive angiomatosis in patients with cryoproteinemia. METHODS: Clinical and histologic data were correlated. Immunoperoxidase staining and electron microscopy were used in the histologic evaluation. RESULTS: All three cases showed tufts of capillaries with luminal deposits of cryoproteins. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the cellularity of the tufts was primarily caused by a proliferation of pericytes. CONCLUSION: Cryoproteinemia can cause angiomatosis that simulates a vascular neoplasm.