Biphasic amyloidosis: link between macular and lichenoid forms*

Abstract

A woman manifested lichen amyloidosus of the right lower limb and macular amyloidosis of her left leg with congenitally impaired cutaneous sensation. Another patient had bilateral lichenoid amyloidosis of her legs. Unilateral triamcinolone injections produced the picture of macular amyloidosis in the treated leg. Light and electron microscopic studies of biopsies from both patients showed similar amyloid deposits in the papillae; the significant difference was epidermal hyperplasia in the lichenoid lesions. We suggest the term biophasic for the existence of both macular and lichenoid amyloidosis in the same patient.