Essential progressive telangiectasia in an autoimmune setting: successful treatment with acyclovir

A unique, progressive syndrome of muscle weakness, ascending telangiectasia, and venous ectasia of the legs developed in a 55-year-old woman with autoimmune thyroiditis. Myopathy was documented by electromyography and electron microscopy. Her constellation of findings is considered to be of autoimmune origin. Treatment with acyclovir eliminated the patient's generalized telangiectasia. Cyclosporine therapy resulted in a marked but temporary reduction of the enlarged thyroid and of her elevated thyroglobulin and microsomal antibodies. Neither acyclovir nor cyclosporine had any demonstrable effect on the patient's muscle function or venous ectasia.