This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Lewis Shapiro, MD; Joel A. Teisch, MD; Martin H. Brownstein, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1973;107(3):403-406.

Abstract
Cutaneous lesions from 12 patients with chronic gonococcal sepsis were studied by light microscopy. The essential histopathologic findings were related to the dermal vessels. Hemorrhage and vasculitis were invariably present; thrombosis was found in 11 of the 12 biopsies. Epidermal changes ranged from mild edema to vesiculopustule formation to necrosis. Gram-negative diplococci could not be demonstrated in any biopsy. The dermatopathologic changes in gonococcemia paralleled those found in meningococcemia. The vasculitic changes in chronic gonococcal sepsis, the difficulty in demonstrating organisms in cutaneous lesions, and the ease with which antigenic material of Neisseria gonorrhoeae can be found with the direct immunofluorescent technique suggest that the Shwartzman phenomenon may be responsible for producing tissue damage.

Author Affiliations
New York

From the departments of dermatology (Drs. Shapiro and Teisch) and pathology (Dr. Shapiro), College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; dermatology (Drs. Shapiro and Teisch) and pathology (Dr. Shapiro) services, Presbyterian Hospital; and departments of dermatology and pathology (Dr. Brownstein), New York Medical College-Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Oct 12, 1972.

Reprint requests to Department of Dermatology, 630 W 168th St, New York 10032 (Dr. Shapiro).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?