Generalized myxedema = الوذمة المخاطية المعممة Print

 

Generalized Myxedema

In generalized myxedema, caused by hypothyroidism, the entire skin appears swollen, dry, pale, and waxy. It is firm to the touch. Despite its edematous appearance, the skin does not pit on pressure. There is often a characteristic facial appearance: the nose is broad, the lips are swollen, and the eyelids are puffy.

Histopathology. The epidermis may show slight orthohyperkeratosis and follicular plugging. Usually, routinely stained sections show no abnormality in the dermis, except in severe cases, in which one may observe swelling of

 

the collagen bundles with splitting up of the bundles into individual fibers with some blue threads and granules of mucin interspersed . However, with histochemical stains, such as colloidal iron, Alcian blue, or toluidine blue, it is possible, at least in severe cases, to demonstrate small amounts of mucin, mainly in the vicinity of the blood vessels and hair follicles