01771nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653001500065653001100080653002200091653002000113653002800133653001000161653000900171653001100180653001100191653003400202653000900236653003400245653001300279653000900292653002500301653002600326653001800352653001100370100001600381245012000397300001000517490000700527520086100534022001401395       1977                            d  c1977 Nov10aAdult10aAngioedema10aBiopsy10aCollagen Diseases10aDermatomyositis10aDiagnosis, Differential10aEdema10aFace10aFemale10aHumans10aLupus Erythematosus, Systemic10aMale10aMelkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome10aMyxedema10aNeck10aScleredema Adultorum10aScleroderma, Systemic10aSkin Diseases10aThorax1 aJohnson W C00aCase of suspected connective tissue disease presenting as chronic edema or swelling of face, neck, and upper trunk.  a670-40 v203 a<p>An adequate biopsy that includes the subcutaneous tissue is very helpful in the evaluation of patients with suspected connective tissue disease. However, the histologic features must often be correlated with the clinical features and other laboratory tests for a definitive diagnosis. An objective histologic diagnosis can usually be made in scleroderma, lupus erythematosus panniculitis, amyloidosis, and angioedema, and in diseases such as lepromatous leprosy and mycosis fungoids (which are sometimes confused with connective tissue diseases). Correlation with clinical features and, sometimes, other laboratory tests is often required to establish a diagnosis of scleredema, dermatomyositis, myxedema, and lichen myxedematosus. The features in cheilitis granulomatosa usually are not specific, but a biopsy is helpful to rule out other diseases.</p>  a0011-4162