Periocular and Orbital Amyloidosis

Dear Editor:
I read the article from Leibovitch et al1 with interest. They report the largest series of patients affected by periocular and orbital amyloidosis, providing valuable information on the wide spectrum of this disease.

They conclude the article recommending surgical debulking, radiotherapy, or observation.
None of their patients presented with eyelid skin involvement (other than subcutaneous hemorrhage, as shown in their Fig 3), and the authors did not include the occurrence of eyelid skin involvement and its treatment in their “Discussion.”

In a recent article,2 we reported a patient with disfiguring bilateral palpebral amyloidosis that recurred and rapidly progressed after observation and surgical debulking (as it is here recommended) and was locally cured with complete surgical excision of the affected eyelid skin, followed by reconstruction with 2 large full-thickness skin grafts (Fig 1 [available at http://aaojournal.org]). Although periocular amyloidosis is a rare disease, ophthalmologists should consider its full spectrum, including the occurrence in the eyelid skin, and also that complete excision may be regarded as a useful (although palliative, in most cases) treatment in such cases.

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About the author

Specialista in Oftalmologia e chirurgo plastico oculofacciale. Si è formato negli Stati Uniti con una fellowship chirurgica di due anni all'Università di Cincinnati (Ohio). È membro della American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), dell'AICPE e della Orbital Society, professore a contratto alla Scuola di specializzazione in Oftalmologia dell'IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele di Milano e membro dell'Editorial Board della rivista Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (OPRS). Opera a Genova e Milano.