Mastocytosis: unusual manifestation; clinical and radiologic changes

Two patients with mast cell disease presented with unusual features. In one the absence of skin lesions made the diagnositic problem a challenging one. Certain of the laboratory findings, especially those related to the serum cholesterol concentration and platelet function tests, were particularyl interesting. Chemotherapy induced partial remission. The second patient had a long, relatively benign course complicated by two episodes of herpes zoster, the last being associated with the Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome. In both patients the skeletal abnormalities were radiologically similar. When these are present they should be considereed sufficiently characteristic to indicate strongly a diagnosis of mastocytosis.