This is a hereditary disorder of elastic tissue. Degenerating elastic tissue in the skin produces lesions which look like soft yellow papules. Elastic tissue in the eye and blood vessels is also involved, giving rise to visual impairment, raised blood pressure and haemorrhages.
a hereditary disease in which elastic fibres (see elastic tissue) become calcified. The skin becomes lax and yellowish papules develop in affected areas; this is accompanied by degenerative changes in the blood vessels and *angioid streaks in the retina.
reddish to dark-brown irregular streaks radiating outwards from the optic disc underneath the retina. They represent irregular linear cracks in *Bruch’s membrane and can be the site for the development of new vessels from the choroid. They are seen in such systemic conditions as pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Paget’s disease, and sickle-cell anaemia.... angioid streaks
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