Skin nontumor
Pigmentary disorders
Argyria
Author: Cecilia Rosales, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2011
Last staff update: 28 August 2020
Copyright: 2002-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Argyria
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical features | Clinical images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Electron microscopy description | Additional referencesCite this page: Rosales C. Argyria. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skinnontumorargyria.html. Accessed January 21st, 2025.
Definition / general
- Permanent discoloration of skin due to dietary, medicinal or industrial exposure to silver compounds
- Silver deposition in skin and mucous membranes, liver, spleen, adrenal, muscle and brain
- Silver deposits cause pigmentation of basement membranes of adnexal structures
Clinical features
- Initially present in gingiva as slate blue line due to metallic silver and silver sulfide
- Cutaneous manifestations follow a sun-exposed distribution
- Nails can also be involved
- Laser treatment may be useful (Int J Dermatol 2011;50:751)
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Various images
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Silver granules in vascular and adnexal basement membranes and adjacent to dermal elastic fibers
- Granules are brown-black
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Tiny, gray-brown-black granules in dermis and concentrated near eccrine glands
Electron microscopy description
- Membrane bound granules within macrophages, lysosomes or free within dermis
Additional references
